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A woman slashed the throats of a seven-year-old boy and 16-month-old girl before telling a shocked onlooker 'it had to be done' - a court heard.

Sadie Jenkins, 28, is alleged to have 'sawed at the throats' of the children with a steak knife as she stayed at their house as a guest, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

Homeowners Nigel and Ceri Ash, 58, say they were woken by the children's screams and ran into the bedroom to see Jenkins allegedly holding the knife above the baby girl.

The 28-year-old was is then claimed to have told Mrs Ash "it had to be done".

Mr and Mrs Ash pushed her against the wall to wrestled the serrated steak knife out of her hand - before picking up the girl to run downstairs.

Prosecutor Paul Lewis said when they entered the lounge they discovered the seven-year-old boy in the corner of the room holding a blanket to his throat.

(Image: Wales News)

A jury was told the youngest victim was only 16 months old and had a 2.4in-long (6cm) cut across their neck while the eldest had a horrific gaping wound and was cowering in a corner in fear.

The defendant was then found with a self-inflicted neck wound - before telling doctors "the voices told me to do it".

The two injured children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital and underwent immediate surgery to treat their life-threatening wounds.

Mr Lewis told the court that regular amphetamine user Jenkins admits to carrying out the attack - but will claim to be suffering from a drug-induced psychosis at the time.

He said: "It is likely that it will be argued on her behalf that when the defendant attacked the children she was legally insane.

(Image: Elizabeth Cook/PA)

"Although she knew what she was doing, she will say that she did not know her actions were wrong."

But Mr Lewis told the court the defendant appeared normal in the hours leading up to the attack at a home in Newport on May 7 last year. Jenkins was staying at the home of Mr and Mrs Ash to discuss the imminent loss of her ownflat.

"There was no hint of what was to follow," Mr Lewis added.

However,the court heard that at 7.45am that same woman was awoken by the sound of two children screaming.

"She ran into the bedroom and .... could see the youngest was bleeding from her throat," said Mr Lewis.

"The defendant was standing there with a kitchen knife in her hand. The woman screamed at her 'what are you doing?'.

(Image: Wales News)

The defendant replied: 'I'm sorry, it had to be done ... it had to be done'."

Mr Lewis said the woman cried for help, with a man managing to disarm Jenkins before a second injured child was found.

He added: "The child was dressed in their underpants holding a blanket to his neck - saying 'look what (she's) done'.

"The woman was horrified to see the child had a gaping wound to the front of their throat."

Jenkins was then described as being like a "zombie" in the aftermath - and attending paramedics found a knife wound of 2cm to 3cm on her throat.

She was then overheard telling doctors: "I tried to take my own life."

(Image: Wales News)

While the two children managed to survive, Mr Lewis said they both needed "significant hospital treatment".

Jenkins was later sectioned under the Mental Health Act but was subsequently discharged from a secure unit and first interviewed by police three months later.

Mr Lewis said it was the defence's role to "raise the issue of insanity" - and not the prosecution's.

He added Jenkins' legal counsel - headed by Patrick Harrington QC - would have to prove the defendant's insanity "on the bounds of probabilities".