Mother Jenni Wilmott’s police interview played to the court where she vehemently denies assaulting daughter Jasmine
The mother of a girl who died by suicide after years of alleged torment told officers she adored her daughter and detailed where the bruises came from, as fresh vision is released.
The mother of a girl who she allegedly drove to suicide after tormenting her for years told officers in an interview that she would “never, ever” hit her.
Jenni Wilmott, 56, is standing trial in the Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to multiple charges, including manslaughter, criminal neglect and assault.
The charges arise from the 2018 death of Ms Wilmott’s daughter, Jasmine, who took her own life.
In Ms Wilmott’s police interview from October 2022 played to the court on Thursday, she vehemently denied assaulting Jasmine, saying it’s “absolutely not true”.
“I would never hurt her ... she’s my daughter,” she said.
“I absolutely adore her.”
When Ms Wilmott was told that bruises on Jasmine were photographed and shown to a school teacher she replied “I would never, ever, ever hit Jasmine”.
Ms Wilmott told officers Jasmine would occasionally get bruises because she was a “bit clumsy” and had spatial awareness issues.
“She’d fall, she walk into stuff,” she said.
Giving evidence this week, a former classmate of Jasmine’s at St Dominics’ Priory College said she noticed Jasmine with bruises “almost every day”.
“I saw her in year 5 come to school with a cut lip and a black eye,” she said.
The former classmate of Jasmine’s – between years 3 and 5 – said she recalled Jasmine occasionally having sandwiches or carrots for lunch but other days “there’d be nothing”.
She said the sandwiches were two pieces of bread with a “yellowy paste with chunks in it” and smelt “quite pungent”.
In her opening, Jemma Litster, prosecuting said Ms Wilmott showed an “overarching resentment” towards Jasmine throughout her life and allegedly resulted in her failing to provide her with adequate food, clothing and shelter.
The court heard it was alleged Jasmine was underfed in Ms Wilmott’s care, weighing only 32kg at the age of 15.
“Further Jenni Wilmott failed to provide adequate conditions of personal safety, by assaulting her physically and verbally, causing others to hit her,” Ms Litster said.
Ms Litster said Ms Wilmott also allegedly subjected Jasmine to cruel punishments, such as cutting her hair short, making her do excessive chores in her underwear and “treating her like a burden”.
“Ms Wilmott described her as having a number of conditions, which she did not, starting with reactive attachment disorder and also later autism spectrum disorder,” she said.
Ms Litster said Jasmine was allegedly made to stay in a “freezing cold” laundry and a tent at other properties and the door was alarmed and the windows locked in her last bedroom.
The trial, before Justice Sandi McDonald, continues.
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Originally published as Mother Jenni Wilmott’s police interview played to the court where she vehemently denies assaulting daughter Jasmine
