Joanna Danhai, the mother on trial for the murder of her two children, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the High Court yesterday and is to be sentenced next month.

Justice James Bovell-Drakes is presiding over the matter and will hand down his sentence after a probation report is submitted. Danhai, formerly of Farm, East Bank Essequibo, was accused four years ago of murdering her two children: nine-year-old daughter Keisha and her seven-year-old son Jamal.

Danhai is said to have fed the children a poisonous substance sometime between August 30 and 31, 2005. She was charged following police investigations.

Previously Danhai was indicted before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the last criminal sessions on the capital offence, but the trial was aborted after a prejudicial report appeared in this newspaper.