A mum who murdered her 19-month-old daughter by scalding her to death said she had been "draining her life" , an inquest was told.
Katie Crowder, now serving a life sentence for the murder of Gracie, had reportedly said "she'd never got a break at all" and that her daughter had to go nursery the year before the murder in March 2020.
Recalling the conversation, Lorraine Orton, of Nottinghamshire County Council's family services, who had previously worked with the family, told the inquest into Gracie's death that Crowder had never spoken to her before like that about Gracie.
She added: "Katie told me that Gracie was the one thing that was keeping her going", Nottinghamshire Live reports.
Crowder's own mother, Karen Crowder, said at the hearing: "I know Kate said it, but I'll say it as well, she could be draining at times."
Crowder, listening to the hearing at Nottingham's Council House, said it was agreed, "if I was having a bad day" Gracie went to her mum's and that was agreed with family services.
Ms Orton agreed with assistant coroner Gordon Clow there was no difficulty with that arrangement, if Crowder was having a bad day, her mother would have Gracie to give her a rest, and "that happens in most families".
Cannabis user Katie Crowder, who had struggled with her mental health since her teens, was involved with the drugs support charity, Change Grow Live [CGL], after she had taken an overdose in March 2019 and was admitted to hospital.
Ms Orton met with a worker, Marian, from CGL, on August 14, 2019, who had agreed to do some one-to-one work with Crowder.
By August 22, Marian had said Crowder came to a one-to-one session but she was not in a good place and it was getting worse every day.
Marian tried to do some "work with goals", said Ms Orton, and forward-thinking, and Crowder had been asked to give a rating of her mood.
Ms Orton, speaking over a video link to the hearing, said Crowder's mood score was two out of 20 but she said she did not have any intention to cause herself any harm.
On August 23 Crowder and Ms Orton had talked about Crowder's appointment with Millfield, Millfield Services (mental health services at King's Mill Hospital), because Crowder had said "it felt so far away".
And by August 24 there was the conversation about Gracie draining her life and she needed to get her into nursery.
Gracie was to die on March 6, 2020. Her medical cause of death was "scalds" after she suffered a large area of life-threatening burn injury, the inquest heard.
Crowder, who was 26 when she was jailed on December 16, 2020, murdered daughter Gracie at her home in Wharmby Avenue, Mansfield, by pouring scalding hot water over the child's face and body.
This came while the child was already sat in a pool of equally hot water.
The judge who sentenced her told her: "I am satisfied that, for whatever reason, instead of seeking prompt medical attention for Gracie, which may well have saved her life, you did not seek assistance from your parents, who lived a few doors away, until after you knew Gracie had died."
The inquest continues.
