A MUM drowned her two-year-old son in the bath to protect him from her "demonic family".
Natalie Steele, 32, held little Reid under the water at their home before telling officers she was "creepy".
The mum, who had recently joined a church in Bridgend, South Wales, claimed she was seeing "demons" and wanted to be baptised.
She had stayed with Reid on a church camping trip the night before he died and repeatedly mentioned "scapegoats" and "sacrifices".
Steele has now been detained under the Mental Health Act after she denied murder but admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
Two psychiatrists found Steele was suffering from a "psychosis and psychotic depression" but found her fit to plead and stand trial.
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The court heard on August 11 last year, Steele was at the house she shared with her mum, stepdad and brother when she took Reid for a bath.
She then told her parents: "You'd better come upstairs, I think, I think, I done."
When her mum Amanda Prescott asked what she had done, Steele simply replied: "The bath".
The gran found Reid "floppy and lifeless" while wrapped in a towel lying across the bathroom floor.
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He was airlifted to hospital but sadly couldn't be saved and was declared dead the next day.
The court was told Steele spoke with officers after his death and said she had been playing "cups of tea" with her son in the bath.
Prosecutor Michael Jones said: "The defendant then said she had been really worried about her family and they had creepy eyes.
"She told the officers she had problems with spirits and that the spirits had been 'touching her'."
Steele explained "I held him under the water" and used her hands to demonstrate how she drowned her son.
She told police: He’s gone, he’s gone, I don’t want to live anymore, I can’t live without him.”
The mum claimed she needed to protect her son by sending him to heaven.
'I'VE DONE SOMETHING TERRIBLE'
The court was told Steele and Reid had seemed "happy" on the camping trip but the mum's mood dropped.
Her friend Heidi Ackland said she decided to drive the pair home as Steele kept mentioning demons.
She received a text from the mum later that night, reading: "I have done something terrible, I felt like I had to protect Reid from my family."
Steele was described as a "brilliant" mum who was "devoted" to her son by her devastated family.
Reid's loved ones paid tribute to the toddler, whose favourite things included Bob the Builder, Winnie the Pooh, the beach, diggers and nature.
They added: "Reid was honestly the most energetic, happy, intelligent, beautiful and loved child we have ever met. He was able to count to 10 in three languages."
He frequently asked 'Are you okay?' whenever he spoke to anyone because he cared for everything and everyone.
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"We miss him with every fibre of our beings. Reid never experienced evil or pain in his little life, he was so adored by all of us.
"We miss him every single day. He was the most beautiful and precious angel to grace the earth. If anyone of you were able to have met him in his short life, you will understand exactly what we mean."
Anyone affected by this story can text SHOUT to 85258 for a call-back 24/7 or phone Mind's Infoline on 0300 123 3393
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