Claudia Martin , 33 , has been convicted of suffocating her newborn baby daughter . A mother-of-five has been convicted of killing her newborn baby girl by filling her mouth with toilet paper and hiding her body in a suitcase . Claudia Martins gave birth alone at her sister 's flat having kept her pregnancy secret from her family and friends . Paramedics were called after the 33-year-old , a Portuguese national , was found sitting in the bath with ' a lot of blood ' and she was taken to hospital . Earlier she had killed the infant by stuffing toilet paper down its throat . She then wrapped the baby girl in towels and a plastic bag and hid the body in a suitcase - where it lay undiscovered for three days . Martins was acquitted by a jury of a single charge of murder but convicted of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility . During her trial at Bristol Crown Court the jury was told she gave birth alone at her sister 's flat in Knowle , Bristol on September 12 last year . Adam Vaitilingam QC , prosecuting , said : 'She told no-one of her pregnancy and gave birth in as secretive a way as she could , for someone living in a crowded flat , and kept the fact of that birth secret from all those around her and closest to her , including her sister . 'She placed the body of the baby in a suitcase , hidden from anyone . 'No doubt , we suggest she intended to dispose of it but was prevented from doing so by the arrival of the paramedics , who took her off to hospital . ' Two days later , her sister Vilma raised the alarm after noticing a smell coming from a suitcase in the defendant 's bedroom . Police were called to the flat and discovered the body of a newborn baby inside Martins ' small , black suitcase , on September 15 . Martins , described as having an extremely low IQ , was arrested and admitted she had given birth but said the baby was stillborn . A post-mortem examination found a wad of toilet paper inside the baby 's mouth , which experts claim was 'deliberately inserted ' . The jury heard Martins is originally from Mozambique in Africa but moved to Portugal before settling in Bristol in 2011 , living in a two-bedroom flat with her sister Vilma Marshall , Ms Marshall 's partner , and five children . Giving evidence , Martins told the court : ' I did not kill my daughter . I did not put tissue paper in her throat . I did n't kill her . No , I did not kill my daughter . ' Mr Justice Teare remanded Martins , of Marshall Walk , Knowle , Bristol into custody to await the preparation of reports . She will be sentenced at a later date . Detective Inspector Neil Meade , of Avon and Somerset Police , said : 'The death of a baby is always a tragedy but the unique circumstances make this a particularly emotive case for everyone involved . 'We carried out a sensitive and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances of the baby girl 's death and obtained statements from medical experts specialising in this field . 'We 've also worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service from the outset . The jury has listened to the evidence and convicted Claudia Martins of manslaughter . 'Our thoughts are very much with the victim 's wider family as they are struggling to comprehend how and why this tragedy happened . ' Martins was acquitted by a jury of a single charge of murder but convicted of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility at Bristol Crown Court , pictured .
Claudia Martins convicted of the manslaughter of her newborn baby girl . The 33-year-old killed the infant by filling its mouth with toilet paper . She stuffed baby 's body in a suitcase where it was found three days later . Comment: