Mother locked up for knife attack on severely disabled daughter in Broadstairs
44 year old Carla Lovejoy attacked 28 year old Isabella Lovejoy at their home in March last year, leaving her with life-threatening injuries
Last updated 20th Mar 2026
A woman who stabbed her severely disabled daughter up to 14 times has been locked up indefinitely.
Carla Lovejoy, 54, attacked 28-year-old Isabella Lovejoy with a knife at the home they shared in Broadstairs, Kent, on March 20 2025.
The victim was stabbed between 12 and 14 times to the abdomen and chest and suffered “catastrophic injuries”, the Old Bailey heard.
Her mother was found drenched in blood and holding a knife having sustained superficial self-inflicted wounds.
She was heard to say: “I done a terrible thing. I had no choice.”
Miss Lovejoy, who has Rett syndrome, underwent lifesaving treatment and spent three months in hospital before being taken into care.
Had it not been for the prompt intervention, she would have died, the court was told.
Lovejoy had been her sole carer and was said to be a “devoted and loving” mother.
She declined to engage with mental health services even as her own condition deteriorated out of fear her daughter would be taken from her, the court heard.
The court was told Lovejoy had suffered severe depression and psychotic symptoms including about human sacrifice and that she was in a fairy tale or a player in a game.
Following a trial in December, Lovejoy was found guilty of attempted murder on the basis she knew her actions were wrong despite being mentally unwell.
On Thursday, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb sentenced Lovejoy at the Old Bailey to a hospital order with restrictions without limit of time for “the protection of the public from serious harm”.
The senior judge noted the harm caused to Miss Lovejoy was “grave”, saying she displayed stress to triggers such as the colour red and the word “mum”.
In a victim impact statement read to court, Lovejoy’s other daughter, Christina Roberts, said her mother’s actions had “torn our family apart”.
It was impossible to describe the effect of the attack on her sister because she was non-verbal, she said.
Ms Roberts struggled to understand what happened because her mother had been Miss Lovejoy’s “world” and they had an “amazing relationship”.
She described her “relief and guilt” when her sister was placed into care but said her sibling was now “thriving” and enjoyed “a good quality of life”.
Summarising her statement in court, prosecutor Laurence Imrie said: “She says Izzy did not just suffer harm, she lost her mother who was her constant and that relationship can never be repaired.
“She says she lived with anxiety the defendant will turn up at her or Izzy’s door and cause harm.”
In mitigation, Fiona Page KC said Lovejoy was “very different” now to how she was before “this terrible incident”.
“Her partner Bernard Broadley described her as a caring person who would not hurt a fly. Her care of Izzy was perfect,” Ms Page said.
Lovejoy made no reaction as Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told her there was nothing she could say that could “undo the harm” she had caused.