A MOTHER who killed her seven-year-old son in Haverfordwest fell victim to conspiracy theories in the weeks leading up to his death, and described herself as “twisted” and not in control of her actions.
Papaipit Linse, 43, was arrested at her home address on Upper Market Street after she admitted killing her son Louis on the morning on January 10.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC said Louis was described as a “brilliant, lovely little boy”.
At around 10.44am on January 10, police received a 999 call from Linse where she admitted killing her son.
The call was played out in court, during which she said “I strangled him” and described herself as “dangerous”.
“I felt totally mental,” she continued.
“I felt like a robot. I couldn’t control myself and my mind. I felt twisted.”
Officers arrived at her home shortly after 10.45am, and Louis’ body was discovered in his bedroom.
Officers began conducting CPR, but this had no effect. The officers noticed what was later confirmed to be a thin leather handbag strap around Louis’ neck.
Paramedics arrived and attempted to resuscitate Louis. He was taken to Withybush Hospital, but was pronounced dead at midday.
Dr John Williams, a home office pathologist, confirmed that Louis’ cause of death was ligature strangulation.
Officers at the scene of the incident on Upper Market Street in Haverfordwest. (Image: Martin Cavaney)
Linse was arrested at the scene, and in interview said she was “unable to control herself” and as being “twisted”, adding that she “didn’t know why she had done it”, Ms Rees said.
The defendant also told police she felt “weird and unsafe” in the days leading up to Louis’ death, and “described her house as being haunted”.
Enquiries were made about Linse’s mental health, and officers found that her mental health “was in decline in the period running up to her killing Louis”.
The court heard that Louis’ babysitter reported a “visible change” in Linse in the week or so before his death, and that she had gone from being “neat and tidy to being unclean and not looking after herself”.
She also reported that Linse was “appeared concerned about the New World Order and various conspiracy theories”.
Linse pleaded not guilty to murder, but guilty to manslaughter by means of diminished responsibility.
The court heard that Linse, who had no previous convictions, was originally from Thailand and moved to the UK in 2017 having met her husband in 2014.
“This is, in any view, an absolutely tragic case,” said John Hipkin KC, mitigating. “The defendant will have to live with the consequences of what she did for the remainder of her life.”
Dr Owen Davies, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, said Linse’s actions were “caused and intrinsically linked” to her mental illness.
He said her symptoms met the criteria for paranoid schizophrenia, and that she believed she was being controlled by another agency.
“She doesn’t believe her actions were of her own origin,” he told the court.
“Absent of that severe psychotic episode, it would not have occurred?,” asked Judge Paul Thomas KC. Dr Davies confirmed he believed that to be the case.
Sentencing Linse, Judge Thomas said: “What happened to [Louis] was unspeakably tragic.
“Your son was not killed by you because you are a wicked person, because you are not.
“Had you not be so mentally ill at that time, it would never have happened.”
Judge Thomas sentenced Linse to be detained under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act with Section 41 restrictions, meaning she will only be released if a Mental Health Tribunal determines she has been treated and does not pose a risk to herself or the public.
“It’s entirely possible under a Section 37 order with a Section 41 restriction that she may never be released,” he said.