I feel such abject pity and sorrow for this little girl: her last few moments must have been filled with such bewilderment and terror. Her love and trust would have been unquestioning at the age of 4.
It feels like I (as a parent?) should say sorry to her - but that sorry isn't a big enough word.

Matt, Guildford, England

As a life long support of SCOPE and father of a 4 year old daughter I found this case extremely distressing. Whatever the mother may be the fact is that Naomi could, and should, have led a normal life. This at a time we are celebrating Paralympic success, e.g Danny Kenny. Rest in peace Naomi.

Charlie, Newcastle, UK

All she had to do was leave her husband and not fight for custody.. 15 years is too short considering she stole a life so young. She may be mentally ill but she's obviously a danger to society if she can justify cold-blooded murder in her own mind.

Tom, Glenorchy, Australia

Worked with a chap who had cerebal palsy; he was intelligent, humorous, with an good heart. To be embarressed by your child (who should have unconditional love) and to force her to wear trousers is shocking. I cannot help but feel sickened by this women; who's level of intent/illness is debateble.

Bryony, Brighton,

I am now traumatised by reading this. I cannot and do not want to think what this poor child was thinking whilst looking up at her mummy who she trusted most in the world was doing this to her. Should her condtion have been monitored if she was this depressed? One day she'll feel her daughters pain!

Nicola Horne, Bradford, UK

As the mother of a 10-year-old with moderate CP I find this child's case heartbreaking. Whilst it is hard work being a carer, I note Naomi was with a child minder so Mrs H was not dealing with her disability 24/7 like many others. No-one has the right to 'play god' no matter how 'mentally' ill.

Gillian, Aberdeen, UK

If this woman had such a history of mental illness and severe post-natal depression, why weren't the health visitors, social services and, perhaps most importantly, her husband, aware of this so that they could take steps to treat her, protect her daughter and prevent such a tragedy happening?

CS, Haywards Heath, UK

"Maybe if the husband took his share of the care work, it wouldnt' happen. "

And how have you reached the decision that he didn't? Read this
'cheated on her husband with a colleague days before the killing. '

That suggest they were still together and you have jumped to a stupid conclusion.

Chris, winchester,

Why is society so offended by this when they turn a blind eye to the thousands of disabled children murdered in the womb? This mother could have legally killed her child right up until the hour it was born, and most people support that. What’s the difference? Our logic's sicker than this woman.

James, Bath,

Geraldine Leale I salute you and hope you are getting all the help you need. A mother's role is never easy and a severley handicapped child can try a saint.

Joanne Hill should be eligible for psychiatric care during her incarceration. Hopefully, she will learn to love Naomi and to forgive herself

M Khan, Peterborough, UK

The story is very distubing & some of the comments are equally distrubing. about "walk in her shoes" & ""husband took his share of the care" .

Sorry but there is "NO EXCUSE" this women had child minders and probably other forms of help government help.

Cerebral palsy is not a severe disability

James, Aberdeen, UK

While they described the way the mother held the little girl down, I pictured it in my head. I can only come up with the word dispicable. This little girl had her whole life ahead of her. Her mother chose to end it. How can she be so cold as to drive around with her in the car?

rose, charleson, US

irene, London, if you had read earlier reports you would know that Mr Hill did indeed do " his fair share" if not more of the care work. Naomi was only mildly disabled and they also had a part time childminder.

Don't make excuses for this woman.

Liz, London,

Those misguided apologists for the mother should consider the disabled childs last moments.

She probably realised what was happening.

What a life, disabled and murdered by your mother.
The despair she she must have felt in her last moments is too horrible to consider.....Isolation defined.

Tom, Hong Kong, China

The mother is diagnosed as mentally ill, suffers from depression, drinks heavily and is suicidal. Is this a profile that inspires confidence in her ability to parent? Did no-one pick up any warning signals? Nevertheless, such a brutally cold-hearted premeditated murder justifies the sentence.

Martin, London,

Well done to the jury.

Cronan, London, UK

I have 5 wonderful children, 2 of whom are autistic.
I had to come to a point in mine, and their lives, whether I would let their condtion defeat us or strenthen us.
Both of them are now teenagers and my son wants to be a chef and my daughter wants to go to college to study art.
Life is choices.

steve, london,

What a tragic situation; poor child, poor mother, poor father. How can a civilised society lock up a woman who has committed such an act? Surely she needs compassion, help and rehabilitation. Having to live with what she did is surely punishment enough.

Jennie, London,

Be great if someone could help me understand where mental starts and evil finishes. Or is the other way round?

Rather than capital punishment would it be an idea to perhaps investigate this 'evil' as thoroughly as possible - the better to try and identify its hidden trademarks?

(!)

chris, london, uk

Regardless of the point this woman was mentally ill i think its a terrible thing to have happened.I can't see how anyone man/women,sane/insane could kill a defenceless child.its just inexcusable.sleep well little one

kirsty, york,

I feel ill reading that, how awful.

Vicky Hunter, Northampton,

This mother has a tragic history of mental illness excluded in this article. As mother of a severely handicapped child I would challenge anyone to walk in her shoes. She needs help not vilification.

Geraldine Leale, Ascot, England

Easy for the husband to say she was a princess while he wasn't a main child carer. Maybe if the husband took his share of the care work, it wouldnt' happen.

Life sentence is way too hard in this case. The woman is clearly not mentally well.

irene, London,

I don't believe she had diminished responsibility. HANG her. There is no fitter punishment. Oh where are our laws to protect these small and defenceless children. Cruel, sadistic and evil in all its forms. Personally I'd drown this woman myself!

lionel, ny,

A great friend, the late "Skip" Conway, was a paraplegic artist & Blues Jazz fan of great stature in the City of Southampton. He was also born with Cerebral Palsy which left him dragging his immobile legs all his life. People with disabilities can become wonderful people who are admired by everyone.

Chris Coles, Medstead, Alton, United Kingdom

This makes me so sad. I just can't imagine how a mother could do this. Children are so vulnerable and precious.

Emily, Melbourne,

Very difficult to judge unless youve walked in the shoes etc etc. Cant quite get my head around how the evidence suggests this lady might have consummed excessive amounts of alcohol and yet not be suffering from some kind of altered state of mind and so fit to stand trial?? Rest in peace naomi

sandra, barnsley, uk

mrs hill...a evil woman,
how can you kill your own child,
evil mind. justice been served,
may lil naomi rest in peace, will angels always beside her,

Sarah, birmingham, UK

It's usually the mother who decide's whether children are part of a family or not. I listened to a mother on Oprah talk about sending one of her two adopted children back to Russia because she couldn't get on with her. Father loved the child, wanted her to stay. Jury still out on this one.

Terry Owings, Auckland,

the verdict was right in everyway!!!!! she is pure evil and justice has been served
. All I can say is god bless the family and little naomi.....may she rest in peace amoungst the angels

Lynsey Drury, Chester, Cheshire