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 didn'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 . The mother-of-five had hidden the pregnancy from friends and family .