The Old Bailey - London
The trial of Anjali Nirmala Perera is set to go forward after she made her appearance in High Court at the Old Bailey today. Ms. Perera and her legal counsel, Sarah Malik appeared in court alongside Crown Prosecutor Julian Markham. The Honorable Justice Margaret Ellingham will be presiding over the trial.
Proceedings were by the book, with the defense filing a Not Guilty plea to the court today. Ms. Perera has been charged with two counts of Murder, and two counts of Child Cruelty by Wilful Neglect in the 26 June death of Oliver Carter, aged 8, and Sophie Carter, aged 6.
Ms. Perera was working as an Au-Pair for the Carter family in Surrey. On that fateful summer day, Oliver and Sophie Carter managed to slip into the gated pool area in the Carter house, with Sophie going into the pool to retrieve a toy. When she began to struggle, her older brother then entered the pool, but quickly began to struggle himself.
Ms. Perera, who has vehemently maintained her innocence in this case, told investigators that the children’s mother, Mrs. Rebecca Carter, 38, had verbally told Ms. Perera that she would “keep an eye on the children” while Ms. Perera attended to the youngest Carter child, Emily, aged 2.
The full details of what happened next have not been disclosed by the Metropolitan Police Service due to the on-going investigation before the trial fully starts, but the end result was the drowning of two children with full lives ahead of them.
A set trial date has not been set, but Justice Ellingham has indicated that Jury selection is tentatively scheduled for early in the new year, and a tentative trial start date in early Spring, next year.
- Eleanor Whitcombe, Senior Court Correspondent for The London Chronicle.
