Patel would not have killed her babies, husband says

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The husband of a woman accused of killing three of her babies told a court yesterday that he did not believe she would ever harm their children.

Jayant Patel, 35, a business analyst for British Telecom, said that his wife, Trupti, was a "loving, caring and compassionate" mother who always put her children first.

Mr Patel said that in the five and a half years since the death of their first son, Amar, it had never once crossed his mind that his wife could have murdered her children or done anything "detrimental" to them.

"She is a really nice mum, loving, caring, compassionate, always considering them first," he said. "I cannot think she would do anything bad to them or harm them in any way."

Mrs Patel, a pharmacist, who is also 35, denies murdering her two sons Amar and Jamie, and her daughter, Mia, none of whom survived beyond three months. All three children collapsed suddenly at the family home in Maidenhead, Berkshire, in separate incidents between 1997 and 2001, and later died.

Mr Patel told Reading Crown Court that his wife was now living away from the family home and was only allowed to see the couple's surviving first child under supervision.

He said she had been "devastated" by the deathsbut would not show her emotion in public. "She is quite composed in public, quite professional in public, but with friends and family she is a very emotional person," he said..

Mr Patel added that the neighbours had sometimes heard her crying at home after he had left for work.

The hearing was adjourned until Wednesday.