Mother accused of two-year-old son’s murder is unable to come to court

A mother accused of the murder of her two-year-old son Muhammad Hassan Khan in Dublin last week was unable to attend a court hearing today.

Since being held in prison on remand last Saturday, Hazel Waters (46) of Ridge Hall, Ballybrack, Co. Dublin, has been transferred to the Central Mental Hospital.

A certificate from the hospital was handed to the judge and the case was adjourned until Wednesday, November 5th.

She was charged at the weekend after toddler Muhammad Hassan Khan was found dead with stab wounds in the bedroom at their apartment at about 2pm last Thursday.

Hassan’s father Mohammed Saleem Khan (61) laid his son to rest following a burial ceremony on Monday.

During a short hearing on Saturday, Detective Sergeant Joe O’Hara had told Dublin District Court that Ms Waters made no reply when she was charged with murdering her son at a time between October 15th and 16th.

Due to the nature of the charge a bail application can only be made in the High Court and Ms Waters was remanded in custody to the Dochas Centre, the women's unit in Mountjoy Prison.

Her solicitor Padraig O’Donovan had told the judge presiding on Saturday that his client had asked not to undergo a psychiatric assessment. However the court ruled that it should be considered while she remains on remand.

The court heard her only income was a lone parent allowance and she was granted free legal aid.

Today the judge noted that there was no objection to the case being adjourned in her absence until November 5th. Ms Waters has not yet entered a plea and book of evidence has to be prepared before she can be returned for trial.