Rachel Shenton has mitigated for Diane Ingham, who faces sentence for perverting the course of justice, after washing the killers’ clothes.

Miss Shenton said Ms Ingham had told police of her own role, and implicated her own son in ‘serious violence’.

“Not every mother would be able to hand in their youngest son, whatever they had done, but she is a lady who felt very strongly about that - she played a leading role in ensuring that Mitchell Ingham was handed in, very shortly after she left the address, shortly after the washing machine was turned on, shortly after it was turned off.

“She leaves the clothes in a bag, and when police arrive she hands them the bag of clothing, this is not an offence that is protracted or persistent, but something that happened on the spur of the moment.

“Up until that night she was a lady of impeccable character who had worked all her life - she is all too aware of the suffering her family had caused to another family. She accepts ultimately Mr Doyle’s life was cut short and he didn’t get chance to fufill his potential.

“She is utterly ashamed of what has happened and the part her family has played in respect of this. In every other respect she behaved properly, handing Mitchell in to police which must have been the hardest possible act - she got carried into something that was entirely outside her nature. She has to live with that. She’s had to move from the area - she can never go back there.

“At the time this happened Mitchell was out of control, and she was intimidated by him. She has another son, who was a completely different character, who hopes to go on and study medicine.

“She will not be there to support him - she has come to court today fully prepared for a term of immediate imprisonment. She has prepared her son and made arrangements for him.

“It’s devastating she cannot be there for him, or to visit her youngest son, although she is the first to condemn his actions.

“I would, despite the seriousness of the offence, urge your Honour to consider whether that sentence would need to be immediate.”