A mother who drowned her two young sons in the bath in what a judge described as "the stuff of nightmares" has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Kara Alexander, 47, of Dagenham, was found guilty of murdering Elijah Thomas, two, and Marley Thomas, five, at their Cornwallis Road home in 2022.
Sentencing her to at least 21 years and 252 days, Mr Justice Bennathan said Alexander had been in a psychotic state after smoking cannabis and had "unspeakably" held them underwater for "up to a minute or two".
Met Police detective Paul Waller said to the boys' family that "no amount of time will erase the pain of such a loss but I hope this sentence serves to bring some semblance of justice".
'Lives snatched away'
Post-mortem examinations concluded the boys had drowned in east London on the evening of 15 December 2022.
Sentencing Alexander, the judge said: "You'd been smoking skunk [strong cannabis]. You'd been doing so every night for weeks, probably much longer.
"At some stage, both the boys were in their pyjamas ready for bed, with Elijah also wearing his nappy. You drowned them both by your deliberate acts."
The judge said there was every sign Alexander was a "caring and affectionate" mother to both children before the events of December 15.
He pointed out that their father said Alexander "never shouted or raised her voice at the boys" and "never showed violence to the boys".
Mr Justice Bennathan said Alexander was in a psychotic state when she killed her sons and that it was cannabis induced.