Father admits Killing Two Children during Lockdown

A father has confessed to slitting the throats of his two young children and subsequently killing them after he “exploded” during the lockdown.

On April 26, 2020, Nadarajah Nithiyakumar, aged 41, attacked his daughter Pavinya, aged 19 months, and Nigish, aged three, at their home in Aldborough Road North, Ilford, east London.

The children’s mother Nisa was in the shower at the time of the killings and informed the police.

Pavinya was pronounced dead at the scene while Nigish was rushed to hospital in Whitechapel but died a few hours later.

Their father was taken to hospital for self-inflicted knife wounds.

After he was discharged, Nithiyakumar was charged with murdering his children. In a police interview, Nithiyakumar accepted he had killed his son and daughter with a knife.

Previously, a court heard that he said he had felt depressed and while working in a shop, customers had “upset him”.

He had considered taking his own life but thought it would “ruin the children’s lives and they would go off the rails”.

On November 5, 2020, the father pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter by diminished responsibility. This was accepted by the prosecution.

Nisa wept in court as her husband pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder. She was supported by her sister and assisted by a Tamil interpreter.

Duncan Atkinson QC, prosecuting, told the court psychiatrists had agreed that Nithiyakumar suffered from a delusional disorder.

He said the case was “on any view of the very greatest seriousness” and had been considered with great care by the prosecution.

Mr Atkinson explained: “It is clear from the unanimous opinion of very experienced psychiatrists that this defendant was at the time of these offences suffering from a delusional disorder.

“It was one from which he had suffered for some time, for the best part of 10 years with very little indication and very little treatment.”

Mr Atkinson said one expert considered that it was “remarkable he was able to function for as long as he did”.

Mr Atkinson added:

“It was clear it was that disorder that led him to kill his children.”

The Old Bailey heard that Nithiyakumar has no previous history of violence.

Mr Atkinson said there was no other explanation for his actions “other than that which he accepted he did”.

He concluded: “In those circumstances, the Crown took the view it is appropriate to accept the plea of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.”

He asked the murder charges to be left on file. This was accepted by Mrs Justice Cutts and sentencing was adjourned until December 10, 2020.

She will consider a hospital order and whether Nithiyakumar poses a danger to the public.

She told him: “I’m not going to sentence you today. I need further information from the doctors and to hear from them evidence in person before I can decide what the appropriate sentence should be.”

Nithiyakumar returned to the medium secure mental health centre in east London where he was undergoing treatment.