THERESA Riggi today (Mon) pleaded guilty to killing her three children at their Edinburgh home.
The 47-year-old admitted culpable homicide on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Twins Austin and Gianluca, eight, and their sister Cecilia, five, died at their flat in Slateford Road last August. The court heard each of the children had been stabbed eight times.
Riggi was involved in a custody battle with the children’s father, Pasquale Riggi, and had moved from Aberdeenshire to Edinburgh with her children following the break-up of their relationship.
The couple are said to have had a telephone call two days before the tragedy, in which Mr Riggi said he had been left with no choice but to take the children away.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard that the bodies of the children were found following an explosion in the second-floor flat.
Riggi, who is originally from California, deliberately jumped head-first from the balcony of the second-floor flat but survived.
Today, Riggi wore the same white suit as on previous court appearances.
She could be heard sobbing in court as the evidence and reports were read out.
Following the case, Pasquale Riggi stood solemn-faced outside the court while a statement was read on his behalf.
It asked for his and his family’s privacy to be respected at this time and also spoke of his loss.
