By Joseph Sapienza
A mother accused of murdering her twin babies before overdosing on prescription drugs has faced court charged with murder.
Rita Ariyaratnam, 30, showed no emotion and did not speak via videolink from Graylands Hospital, where she has been held since her release from Royal Perth Hospital.
Her lawyer Mark Trowell, QC, asked for a four-week adjournment, which was granted by magistrate Keith Chapman.
Outside Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court in Perth, another lawyer Terry Dobson said Ariyaratnam and her family were having to deal with a "terrible event" that had touched the entire West Australian community.
He said the family just wanted to get on with grieving in private.
"Obviously this was a tragic event for all concerned," he said.
"We want to get on with looking after her best interests."
Police last week charged Ariyaratnam with two counts of murder after she was found alongside the bodies of her seven-month-old babies Lachlan and Sophie in their Cloverdale home.
The children's father, Selvin Ariyaratnam, found the trio when hearrived home but the twins were pronounced dead on arrival at PrincessMargaret Hospital.
WAtoday.com.au
© 2007 The Sydney Morning Herald
