Mother admits manslaughter of two year old Annabel after child found unresponsive in village pond

A mother has been admitted to the manslaughter of her two-year-old daughter, who was found unresponsive in a Hampshire pond.

Annabel Mackey died in hospital on 11 September 2023, one day after being pulled from Kingsley Pond, a small beauty spot in the village of Kingsley near Bordon. Her mother, Alice Mackey, 42, of Oakhanger, pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility at Winchester Crown Court.

The toddler had been reported missing from her home on Forge Road shortly before the tragic discovery on the afternoon of 10 September. Emergency services located her in the nearby pond, and she was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition. Despite medical efforts, she died the following day.

Prosecutors accepted Mackey’s plea to manslaughter, and her not guilty plea to murder was deemed acceptable by the Crown. The court heard from two independent psychiatrists who assessed that Mackey was suffering from a significantly diminished mental state at the time of the incident.

Judge Mr Justice Garnham remanded her in custody ahead of sentencing, which is scheduled for 6 October.

The case has cast a long shadow over the quiet Hampshire village. The image of little Annabel — beaming with joy on a playground swing, her blonde hair catching the sun — has become a symbol of the profound loss felt by those who knew her.

In an earlier tribute, Annabel’s father described her as a “beautiful, positive and very happy little girl.” She was “full of life,” he said, and “brought light into every room she entered.”

No further details surrounding the circumstances of her death have been released by the authorities. The court proceedings have remained focused on the psychiatric evaluation and the legal distinction between murder and manslaughter under UK law.

The charge of manslaughter by diminished responsibility is applied when a defendant is found to have suffered a recognised mental condition that substantially impaired their ability to understand or control their actions at the time of the offence.

As the legal process continues, the community remains shaken by the loss. Floral tributes and soft toys have appeared around Kingsley Pond since the child’s death, a quiet act of remembrance from neighbours and strangers alike.

Police and paramedics who responded to the incident were visibly shaken by the scene, and officers described the investigation as one of the most difficult in recent memory.

Mackey is currently being held in custody while psychiatric and pre-sentencing reports are compiled. The final judgement in October is expected to consider both the gravity of the act and the significant mitigating mental health factors accepted by the court.

The sentencing hearing will aim to balance justice for Annabel with compassion for her mother’s complex condition — a tragedy without winners, and a life lost far too soon.