A MOTHER convicted of killing her two children has admitted murdering her first-born in an almost identical way 15 years ago.

Maxine Robinson, 35, had always denied having anything to do with the mysterious deaths of any of her three children.

But she was found guilty of murdering five-month-old Anthony and 19-month-old Christine in 1993 and jailed for life at Sheffield Crown Court.

Yesterday, she admitted smothering nine-month-old Victoria four years earlier - a case which had been treated as cot death until Robinson made a prison cell confession last year.

She is now facing the prospect of at least a further 15 years in the she-wing at Durham Jail, where she has been held since her conviction in 1995.

Robinson had been told by lawyers that she could argue her responsibility was diminished when Victoria was suffocated at their County Durham home. But she told her legal team she wanted to take full responsibility for the death and be "punished to the extreme".

Bespectacled Robinson, dressed in black trousers, a dark green T-shirt and black cardigan, made a brief appearance at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday and spoke only twice -whispering to confirm her name and to enter a plea.

Defence barrister Franz Muller told the court how two psychiatrists had concluded she would have been entitled to use the defence of diminished responsibility at a trial, which was scheduled for next month.

But despite legal advisors urging her not to enter a guilty plea to the offence of murder, Robinson was determined the case went ahead yesterday.

Mr Muller told the court: "Maxine Robinson has now been examined by two doctors on behalf of the defence, both of whom would support an argument for infanticide, or diminished responsibility in respect of this killing of Victoria.

"Maxine Robinson is aware that such a defence is available to her.

"As far as I can judge she does understand the difference but she wishes to be punished to the extreme for what she has done, no matter what the consequences are of a plea of guilty to murder."

Robinson, standing with hands clasped in front of her, fought back tears as she entered her guilty plea to murdering Victoria on June 15, 1989. Sentence was adjourned to be heard before a judge of the High Court.

In April 1995, Robinson was given two life sentences for murdering Anthony and Christine as they slept in their beds in the Brooms, Ouston, near Chester-le-Street.

Police did not investigate the earlier death until Robinson confessed in jail last January that she was responsible for it.

She told detectives she had felt "isolated" and unable to cope when she took the life of Victoria, and went on to give the same excuse for the later killings.

Robinson's first husband, and the father of Victoria, Les Cope, had a nervous breakdown following the baby's death.

His brother Darren, 33, of Chester-le-Street, said: "He doted on his little girl. She was rushed to hospital and they said it was cot death.

"He came home afterwards and he was absolutely broken-hearted."

The death of Victoria proved to be the catalyst for the end of the marriage, and Robinson ran off with a travelling fairground worker within weeks.

She later remarried and had Christine and Anthony with Peter Robinson, who became a prosecution witness following their deaths in 1993.

One of Mr Robinson's former neighbours in Shotton Colliery, County Durham, said: "I don't think the news of Vicki's murder will surprise him. He always had his doubts after his two babies were killed."

Mr Robinson said: "I have been through enough and just want to be left to rebuild my life."

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