A girl, 13, who is accused of stabbing a woman to death was not suffering from depression at the time of the killing, a court has heard.
The jury at Lincoln Crown Court was told that the teenager stabbed Marta Bednarczyk at least 143 times at a terraced house in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, in March this year.
Before the death of Ms Bednarczyk, the teenager searched on the internet for a forum featuring images of murder, torture and executions.
The defendant, who cannot be named because of her age, accepts that she unlawfully killed the 43-year-old but denies murder, claiming diminished responsibility.
Giving evidence to the court on Tuesday, Dr Tina Irani, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, said that, in her opinion, the defendant was not suffering from any recognised mental health issues at the time of the killing.
Asked why she did not believe the girl was suffering from depression, Dr Irani told the court: ‘There wasn’t information to corroborate that.
‘The psychiatric team that saw her (after the killing) did not see any symptoms which meet the criteria.’
Dr Irani added that someone with severe depression would have minimal ability to speak and could appear withdrawn.
Police and forensic officers at the scene of the crime in Wellingborough in Northamptonshire in March this year. The jury at Lincoln Crown Court heard that the teenager stabbed Marta Bednarczyk at least 143 times at the home
Forensic officers following the alleged murder earlier this year. The defendant, who cannot be named because of her age, accepts that she unlawfully killed the 43-year-old but denies murder, claiming diminished responsibility
The Crown alleges that the 13-year-old planned the fatal stabbing, using more than one knife, and then tried to blame a third party.
At the start of the trial last week, prosecution KC Samuel Skinner claimed it was ‘the sad truth’ that what lay behind the killing may never be known – and that it had nothing to do with the girl’s mental health.
Jurors were also given an agreed facts document on Tuesday, containing evidence accepted to be true by the defence and prosecution.
Details of WhatsApp messages and internet searches linked to the defendant were read to the court, including Google searches for: ‘How do I know if I’ve got a mental illness?’; ‘What age can you go to jail UK’; and: ‘What happens when a 13-year-old murders?’
Psychiatric evidence in the trial will continue on Wednesday.
