Mother pleads guilty to attempting to murder her children
A mother has pleaded guilty to attempting to murder her children by setting fire to a home in Canberra.
The 48-year-old woman and her two primary school-aged children were dragged from their burning house in Canberra's south in July of 2019.
All three were flown to hospitals in Sydney in a critical condition.
Police investigators uncovered that the fire had been deliberate.
The woman was charged with attempted murder and committing arson intended to endanger life and was due to face trial in August this year.
On Wednesday morning, the mother instead pleaded guilty to the two counts of attempted murder.
Prosecutors have said they will not be pursuing the remaining charges.
Documents filed in court around the time of her arrest claimed the woman had owed $175,000 to her ex-husband as part of a divorce settlement and had she had failed to pay the first instalment.
It is believed a neighbour who was walking his dogs noticed the curtains of the home on fire and heard the two children inside screaming.
The neighbour banged on the doors trying to raise the alarm to no avail.
The woman remains in custody and will return to court in December.