My dad stabbed my mum to death - but then I had to move back in with him

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Antonia MatthewsBBC Wales

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Gemma Ahern

Gemma Ahern has struggled with her mental health as a result of the trauma she suffered

Gemma Ahern’s dad killed her mum by stabbing her 36 times - but then she had to move back in with him after he was released from prison.

She was just three at the time of the attack in 1992, in which he used a pair of scissors.

Her dad was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter during a trial, and after serving half of a four-year sentence, he took over care for her once more when she was six.

Gemma, who is now 36, is calling for Jade’s Law to be brought into force - which will mean parents who kill someone they have children with will have their parental rights suspended on sentencing in court.

Campaigners say this should be done urgently to protect children and bereaved families, while the UK government’s Ministry of Justice said it will come into force by the end of the year.

“There hasn’t been a time, throughout this whole thing with me, where my wellbeing has been put before my dad’s,” Gemma said.

Carol Quinton, who was 26, suffered 36 stab wounds including 11 through the heart when she was attacked with scissors at the home she shared with her husband and daughter.

Gemma said her mother was seeing somebody else and the marriage was in difficulty.

After killing his wife, Gemma said her dad took her to the police station as he handed himself in.

During a trial at Manchester Crown Court, he claimed he had no memory of the fatal attack, which happened as they argued over the end of their relationship.

After being found guilty of manslaughter, Judge Mrs Justice Smith sentenced him to four years, accepting the actions were out of character and saying he seemed to be a decent young man, according to the Bury Times.

Family photo

Carol Quinton was stabbed 36 times in the bedroom of her home

While he served his time, Gemma briefly stayed with her maternal grandparents.

Her dad then decided she should live with his parents before returning to live with him after his release from prison.

He continued to have full parental responsibility for her and she was raised by her father and her stepmother.

As a child, teenager and young adult Gemma said she was “on auto pilot” and did not question anything.

“My childhood was all about suppressing everything,” she said.

"When I started to understand everything better, that’s when I really struggled with my mental health.

“I was in a really bad place because the trauma just kind of hit me.”

She was diagnosed with complex PTSD and ADHD as a result of the trauma caused by the situation.

It wasn’t until her 30s that Gemma began looking into what had happened in detail.

Gemma Ahern

Gemma spent a year and a half finding out what really happened to her mother

What is Jade’s Law?

Jade’s Law is named after Jade Ward, who was stabbed and strangled at her home in Shotton, Flintshire, by ex-partner Russell Marsh in 2021 as their four children slept in rooms nearby.

In 2022, Marsh was told he must serve at least 25 years after he was found guilty of murder.

Jade’s family were shocked when he started asking them for pictures and school reports of the children from prison.

They found that he still had parental rights - under current laws, killers need to be consulted on decisions affecting their children such as health, education and travel.

Along with other friends, Jade’s family began a campaign to strip Marsh of these and suspend the rights of all parents who kill someone they have children with.

They were successful and, in May 2024, section 18 of the Victim and Prisoners Act 2024 - Jade’s Law - was one of the last to be passed before the general election.

However, it still has not been brought into force almost two years later.

At the time, the UK government said the law would protect children by preventing killers from unduly influencing their lives.

The rule will apply to anyone convicted of the murder or voluntary manslaughter of someone they share parental responsibilities with, with an exemption in cases where domestic abuse victims kill their abusers.

But Jade’s family were shocked to learn that the law remains dormant and is not yet being used to protect victims’ families.

“I thought no other family will have to go through what we’ve had to do,” her mum Karen Robinson said while talking about the delay in December.

Family photo

Jade’s ex-partner still has some say over the lives of their children despite killing her

Gemma thinks staying with her father was “unbelievably detrimental”, saying it had almost been “a life sentence” for her.

She believes children should go to the maternal family if possible, with significant support from child services and their school.

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“I saw my dad stab my mum then had to move in with him”

“When you know the truth, you’re less likely to grow up and question. So a child that is well informed in an age-appropriate way is more likely to grow up with reduced mental health difficulties,” she said.

Gemma said her mother’s death and the circumstances were never talked about at home.

“You kind of look for the best in people and you are biologically wired to your parents,” she said.

Gemma worked in her father’s business until she left aged 31.

After she met her partner, she moved to north Wales and started to question much of what she had been told.

“Being away, I felt safer,” she said.

She spent a year and a half finding out what had really happened and has now cut ties with her father and his family.

Gemma Ahern

Gemma says she did not know the exact circumstances in which her mother died until recently

The UK Ministry of Justice said it was implementing Jade’s Law “as swiftly and safely as possible and it will come into force by the end of 2026”.

“Our deepest sympathies are with the families of these victims,” it said.

Chief executive of charity Children Heard and Seen, Sarah Burrows, said: "Some children experience the unimaginable - losing one parent to domestic homicide while the other receives a prison sentence.

"The children and those caring for them are the forgotten victims after incidents of domestic homicide.

“Jade’s Law must be implemented urgently, so that perpetrators of domestic violence automatically lose parental rights at conviction.”

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