Kaela Mehl smothered her young daughter with her hands to save her, the jury in the VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 womanB次元官网网址檚 first-degree murder trial heard Wednesday afternoon.
Mehl, 34, is being tried in the death of her 18-month-old daughter, Charlotte Cunningham. MehlB次元官网网址檚 treating psychiatrist, Dr. David Yaxley, who was qualified by the judge in the case as an expert witness, told the court about MehlB次元官网网址檚 actions and mental state the night she killed Charlotte.
RELATED:
B次元官网网址淪he gave her daughter zopiclone, mixed in yogurt, but it has an incredibly bitter taste, and her daughter would not eat it,B次元官网网址� Yaxley testified. B次元官网网址淚n KaelaB次元官网网址檚 state of mind at that time, she was determined that they were both going to die, and she told me that she used her hands; her daughter was feeling sleepy from the zopiclone, that she wasnB次元官网网址檛 going to die and leave her, and she smothered her with her hands.B次元官网网址�
Yaxley, who as of Wednesday has had 60 sessions with Mehl, said he believes his client had an adjustment disorder at the time of CharlotteB次元官网网址檚 death.
He said that the night the toddler was killed, Mehl was in the process of drafting a response to a police request that she give ex-husband Daniel Cunningham a list of foods Charlotte was eating. At some point, Yaxley said, she started to B次元官网网址渇eel the bottom dropping out in her emotional state.B次元官网网址�
RELATED:
Mehl started writing a note to herself about how she was feeling, how she felt about the Cunningham family; a note that later became the suicide letter she emailed to her ex-husband, his family and her friends.
Relaying his discussions with Mehl about that night, Yaxley said, B次元官网网址淸she] described a state of hope dying, a strange sensation she has never felt before, of being different than her normal state of mind. Empty, and absolutely no hope B次元官网网址� and suddenly she said, B次元官网网址業 have to die, I canB次元官网网址檛 take it anymore.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
While he testified, Mehl audibly wept.
The suicide note is a significant factor in YaxleyB次元官网网址檚 assessment of her mental state at the time she killed Charlotte, he said.
At the time of CharlotteB次元官网网址檚 death, he said, Mehl felt as if B次元官网网址渟he is dying. She cannot go on. She is finished. She just doesnB次元官网网址檛 have the strength to carry on and she is not going to leave Charlotte behind to be hurt by what she perceived to be malevolent forces.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 believe she was in a disordered state of mind, an adjustment disorder, and that her normal framework for forming B次元官网网址� judgment, and her insight into the situation was severely disturbed, and this led to a sudden decision to solve the situation through killing Charlotte and herself.B次元官网网址�
The Crown is scheduled to cross examine Dr. Yaxley on Thursday.
Read Victoria B次元官网网址B次元官网网址� coverage of the Kaela Mehl murder trial
Oct. 4:
Oct. 4:
Oct. 3:
Sept 28:
Sept: 27:
Sept: 26:
Sept. 21:
Sept. 19:
Sept. 16:
Sept. 14:
Sept. 13:
Sept. 12:
