A mother who drowned her three-year-old daughter in the bath after her marriage broke down has been jailed for a minimum of 18 years.
Claire Colebourn was found guilty of murder by jurors at Winchester Crown Court on Friday. She admitted killing Bethan at their home in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, after she split with her husband Michael, but denied murder, saying she wanted to “save” and “protect” the little girl from her father and his family.
But the former biology teacher was found guilty by unanimous verdict following an eight-day trial.
Colebourn, dressed in a black jacket and wearing glasses, rubbed her temples with her hands, shook her head and looked at the floor as details of her crimes were detailed to the court. She did not react when handed the sentence.
Mrs Justice Johannah Cutts told the 36-year-old: “She [Bethan] was clearly a beautiful little girl who was full of life.
“She had everything to live for.
“You were her mother, you were responsible for her care and her wellbeing.”
The court has previously heard Colebourn hit “rock bottom” after her husband ended their 16-year-relationship.
She woke the couple’s daughter at their home in the early hours of 19 October 2017, led her to the bath and drowned her by holding her under the water, before making multiple suicide attempts.
Colebourn was discovered by her mother about 14 hours later, in a diabetic coma.
The ex-sixth form teacher initially denied all memory of the incident, but later recalled how Bethan agreed to have a bath in the middle of the night at her mother’s instruction, telling police: “Sadly, my little girl trusted me completely.”