logo
Mum pleads GUILTY to killing daughter, 2, who was found dead in pond just yards from her home

Mum pleads GUILTY to killing daughter, 2, who was found dead in pond just yards from her home

The Sun28-07-2025
A MUM has pleaded guilty to killing her two-year-old daughter who was found dead in a pond near her home.
Annabel Mackey vanished from her home in Kingsley, Hampshire, on September 10, 2023 - sparking a frantic search.
2
The two-year-old was discovered a short time later unresponsive in a pond.
Annabel was rushed to hospital in a serious condition but sadly died the following day.
Her mum Alice Mackey appeared at Winchester Crown Court today where she pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Police had been called to the family home on September 11, 2023, after Annabel was reported missing at 5.02pm.
A probe was launched into her death and movements before the tragic discovery was made.
The youngster's dad previously paid tribute to his daughter and thanked those who were a "positive influence" in her life.
He also described Annabel as a "beautiful, positive and very happy little girl".
The dad added: 'She had an incredibly pure and caring nature that we miss so much. She loved story time, dogs and her dolly.
'She enjoyed singing songs and nursery rhymes and had a very sweet tooth.
'Annabel loved to laugh, she brought so much happiness into our lives.
"She was dearly loved by her family and friends.
"The world needs more people like Annabel to spread positivity and kindness.
'Annabel, I love you so much, you are a shining star and you will be loved forever x.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tradie dad killed in a freak construction accident is identified - as harrowing details emerge about his final moments
Tradie dad killed in a freak construction accident is identified - as harrowing details emerge about his final moments

Daily Mail​

time3 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Tradie dad killed in a freak construction accident is identified - as harrowing details emerge about his final moments

A shocked tradie has recalled horrific details of how a co-worker was crushed to death by a concrete pump at a construction site. Paulo Mau'u, 40, and his colleague Ayman Alahmad, 30, were critically injured at the Meriton construction site at Carlingford, in Sydney 's north-west, on Tuesday. It's understood the pair were pumping concrete at the time. Mr Mau'u later died, while Mr Alahmad continues to fight for life in Royal North Shore Hospital. Meriton boss Harry Triguboff paid a visit to the worksite afterwards to speak with shocked workers. 'I heard a big bang, turned around and saw two guys under it. One's legs were all bent,' a worker told Seven News. 'One was knocked out unconscious. 'I was in shock. I didn't know what to do.' Footage emerged online on Wednesday of a crane in operation at another Meriton construction site in honour of Mr Mau'u, as a group of tradies watched on. 'This is for you, my uso (brother),' the tradie captioned the footage. The tragedy has sparked an outpouring of tributes for Mr Mau'u, who has been remembered as a dedicated family man who put others first. He described himself on social media as a 'proud Samoan' who migrated to Australia from New Zealand. 'He was a hardworking father who left for work like any other day, not knowing it would be his last,' one friend wrote. 'Dedicated to providing for his family, he never complained and always put others before himself.' 'His sudden passing is a painful reminder of how precious and fragile life is. 'He will be remembered not just for his hard work, but for the love and strength he gave his family every single day.' Others saw the tragedy as a reminder to never take life for granted. 'We never really know when the last time you see someone is the "last time", a mate wrote. 'Couldn't believe the news. Will forever miss your good vibes & energy. Love ya, uso. You truly will be missed.' Australia's biggest unit developer is 'fully cooperating' with SafeWork NSW, which has launched an investigation into how the tragedy unfolded. 'Our hearts go out to their families, friends, and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time,' a Meriton statement read. 'We extend our deepest condolences and stand with them in their grief and pain.' The tragedy unfolded at the construction site of The Carling - a master-planned community which will consist of 629 units across seven high-rise towers. It's the same Meriton worksite where an unstable crane almost toppled in June due to powerful winds. The incidents shut down Pennant Hills Road - one of Sydney's busiest roads - and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents from nearby unit complexes.

Daughter of murderous ex-MLB pitcher Daniel Serafini's victims speaks out after he gunned down in-laws
Daughter of murderous ex-MLB pitcher Daniel Serafini's victims speaks out after he gunned down in-laws

Daily Mail​

time3 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Daughter of murderous ex-MLB pitcher Daniel Serafini's victims speaks out after he gunned down in-laws

Adrienne Spohr, the daughter of Gary Spohr and Wendy Wood, has spoken out after disgraced former MLB player Daniel Serafini gunned down her parents. Serafini, 51, was found guilty in July of murdering his father-in-law and attempting to kill his mother-in-law. The former Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs pitcher broke into Spohr and Wood's Lake Tahoe-area home in 2021 and shot dead Spohr at close range before firing at Wood, 69. Wood, who suffered brain damage as a result of the shooting, killed herself in 2023 at an assisted-living facility. Now, Adrienne, the 35-year-old sister of Serafini's wife Erin, paid an emotional tribute to her parents as she opened up on their tragic deaths. 'My parents were forces of nature. They were strong, adventurous, generous and they loved deeply,' Adrienne told People. 'That's how I want people to remember them — not as victims but as the incredible people they were.' Prosecutors claimed that Spohr was 'executed' with a bullet to the back of his head, while Wood was struck by gunfire, vomited and bled on the couch before she crawled to a bathroom, where she managed to call 911. She was so badly injured that she could only gasp for air. Still, emergency responders rushed to the scene, where they found Spohr's body along with bullet shell casings and bloodstains splattered around the luxury home. Medics found Wood in the bathroom, and flew her to the hospital in Reno, where she spent the next month in intensive care. Adrienne said that in the following weeks her mother 'relearned how to walk and write and even went hiking.' However, Wood suffered with depression and anxiety, ultimately taking her life in 2023. 'The heartbreak of losing my dad — and knowing who was responsible [for his death] — became too much,' Adrienne said. 'She said it felt like she had lost her right arm.' Last month, a California jury declared that Serafini was guilty of first-degree murder for his father-in-law's death, as well as the attempted murder of his mother-in-law and burglary, CBS News reported. The jury also found Serafini was guilty of charge enhancements, including discharging of a firearm to cause great bodily injury, lying in wait and that the attack was woeful, willful and premeditated, according to KCRA. However, the 10-woman, two-man jury found Serafini was not guilty of child endangerment as his children were not at the house at the time of the deadly shooting. Prosecutors have claimed throughout the months-long trial that Serafini had been in desperate need of cash following an acrimonious divorce and a failed bar venture for which he lost $14 million in earnings from his baseball career. They also argued that the former baseball star hated his wealthy in-laws and even told others that he wanted them dead, as he continued his affair with the nanny, Samantha Scott, 35. Serafini, they said, ultimately devised a plan to sneak into his wealthy in-laws home on June 5, 2021 when he knew they were spending time out on the lake with his wife and children. He then waited with a .22-caliber gun for his wife and children to return to their Reno, Nevada home, and when Spohr and Wood were watching television shortly before 9am, Serafini opened fire, Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Miller told jurors. She ultimately hanged herself in 2023, and her will is now the subject of a contentious legal battle between Serafini's wife, Erin, and Adrienne. The two sisters are fighting to get custody of the couple's estate - which they estimate to be worth $10 million. It now seems that Serafini's relationship with his in-laws had been fraught from the beginning - and tensions only grew worse as the former pitcher and his wife found themselves partially reliant on handouts from her wealthy parents. Making matters worse, her parents forced Serafini to sign a post-nuptial agreement one year after their wedding - meaning he would not get any of her money if their marriage were to end, Erin testified in court, according to the Sacramento Bee. Wearing a backpack and black hoodie, the man thought to be the killer carried a concealed .22-caliber gun as he strolled around Lake Tahoe on the day of the murder As the investigation into the shooting continued, authorities also discovered Serafini once said he would pay to have his in-laws killed. ''I'll pay $20,000 to have them killed. They're wealthy pieces of s***.' That's what he said about his in-laws,' Miller told jurors back in May. He said Serafini made the comment in 2012, the same year he married their daughter, Erin, now 36. Then, just three months before the murder, Serafini was also overheard by a mine foreman saying he wanted to kill them in a furious phone call. Transcripts of angry emails and text messages between Serafini and his wife's parents further showed a heated, ongoing dispute over a $1.3 million loan from his in-laws to help fund Erin's fledgling horse ranch business. Yet the in-laws continued to help out their daughter - even providing her a check for $90,0000 on the day of the grisly murder. Erin and Serafini's two young children had visited the Lake Tahoe compound that day, and as they spent hours boating on the lake, a masked man was caught on camera sneaking into Spohr's Tahoe City shortly after 5pm. Just over an hour later, five gunshots were heard in rapid succession from inside the property with the masked killer caught leaving the home a few minutes before 9pm. The former baseball star is now due to be sentenced on August 18, when he faces the possibility of life behind bars. Serafini was an MLB pitcher who was drafted in 1992 and whose career spanned 11 years with multiple teams. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and finished his career with the Colorado Rockies back in 2007.

Waterworld where four-year-old girl died 'had strongest wave pool I've felt', says mother who was there on tragic day
Waterworld where four-year-old girl died 'had strongest wave pool I've felt', says mother who was there on tragic day

Daily Mail​

time3 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Waterworld where four-year-old girl died 'had strongest wave pool I've felt', says mother who was there on tragic day

The waterpark where a four-year-old girl died had the 'strongest wave pool' swimmers had ever felt, according to a mother there on the day. Staffordshire Police were called to Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent on Monday to reports of a girl in a critical condition. The child was rushed to hospital for further treatment but sadly passed away a short while later. Parents of children who had been at the 'lagoon area of the aqua park' where the tragic event took place have since spoken out, sharing their 'heartbreak'. A mother, who took her three children to the waterpark that day told the Telegraph she had never been to one with such a strong wave pool. The parent, who did not wish to be named, had attended with her husband and three children, aged 11, five and three. She described 'struggling to remain' on her feet due to the 'strength' of the current, adding she had used wave pools before but 'never experienced one that forceful'. 'As an adult, I did not feel confident keeping my younger children safe there, and made the decision to remove them. My husband remained with our 11-year-old, who is a strong swimmer, but even he was struggling to stay above water. 'Although lifeguards were positioned at key points, I found it very difficult to maintain visibility of my children in the children's area,' she added. The mother went on to say there had been a 'number of slides and structures' blocking sight lines and that she lost sight of her five-year-old 'several times' while managing her 'three-year-old'. She said her daughter had wandered towards the wave pool on more than one occasion and she had to remind her not to enter the water alone and to stay near the orange and green slides and wait if she could not see her. Another woman described the moment she saw the little girl on the floor and recalled having to leave as her own girl did not want to see it and as her children were 'afraid'. And a different local said the venue had been 'crowded' on the day, adding she thought there were 'not enough lifeguards'. The attendee said they were not sure exactly what had happened but was aware of wave machines that are 'quite choppy' and the need to be a 'strong swimmer'. They added it was a 'complete tragedy'. Another resident said it was 'heartbreaking' while customer Heather Neville, 33, of Stone, Staffordshire, described finding the site closed following the girl's death after she arrived with her two sons. She said it was 'absolutely dreadful' and said she was unsure as to whether she could bring her boys back when the waterpark reopens. The typhoon lagoon wave pool is indicated on a map of the water park - where artificial waves reach heights of 1.4 metres. Toddlers are permitted to go in but only 'strong swimmers' can use the deep end. Non-swimmers are instructed to remain in shallow water, according the company's website. A Waterworld spokesman said: 'It is with great sadness that we learned of this little girl's passing. All our thoughts are with her family and loved ones during these extremely difficult times. Waterworld is working closely with the authorities. 'All other visitors were asked to quietly leave the pool out of respect for the rescue operation under way, and we would like to thank them for their support and collaboration.' West Midlands Ambulance Service stated it received a number of 999 calls to 'Waterworld at 4.20pm on Monday. Two ambulances, a paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford attended the scene. A spokesman for the service said: 'Crews arrived to find Waterworld staff and bystanders performing CPR on a girl who was in a critical condition. 'The ambulance team quickly took over resuscitation efforts to commence advanced life support before conveying the girl by air ambulance to Royal Stoke University Hospital whilst life-saving treatment continued en route. 'Tragically, despite the best efforts of everyone, nothing could be done to save the little girl, and she was confirmed deceased in hospital a short time later. 'Our thoughts are with the family and friends at this truly awful time.' Stoke-on-Trent city council said in a statement on Tuesday: 'The council's environmental health team are working with the police and the privately run venue to undertake a full health and safety investigation.' Steve Watkins, the Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, said: 'This is a terrible tragedy, and our thoughts are with her family and loved ones.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store