Mum Carla Foster, 44, to be released from prison as she wins appeal for taking abortion pills after legal time limit
A MUM who was jailed for taking abortion pills after the legal time limit will be freed from jail after winning an appeal.
Carla Foster, 44, was handed a 28-month extended sentence last month after she admitted illegally inducing her abortion in lockdown.
The mum-of-three was between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant when she took the pills in 2020.
Foster was sent the abortion-causing drugs by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) after she called them during the height of the pandemic.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court previously heard she had lied to the abortion care service about how far along in her pregnancy she was.
The procedure is generally only legal before 24 weeks and is carried out in clinics after 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Despite this, following a decision by the Court of Appeal, Foster has now had her sentenced reduced and will walk free.
The prosecution previously said Foster made a number of internet searches between February and May 2020.
They included “how to hide a pregnancy bump”, “how to have an abortion without going to the doctor” and “how to lose a baby at six months”.
Foster, who had three sons before becoming pregnant again in 2019, did not see a doctor because she was “embarrassed” and did not know how far along she was, the court was told.
She spoke to a nurse practitioner at BPAS on May 6, 2020, and based on her answers to questions about her pregnancy, it was determined she was only around seven weeks.
The pills were then sent out to her in the post.
Days later, on May 11, 2020, having taken the pills, a 999 call was made at 6.39pm saying the woman was in labour.
Her child was born during the course of the phone call, prosecutors told the court.
Paramedics arrived around 7pm to find the baby not breathing.
Despite resuscitation attempts, the child was pronounced dead in hospital around 45 minutes later.
A post-mortem examination determined the child was between 32 and 34 weeks’ gestation when born.
Her cause of death was recorded as stillbirth and maternal use of abortion drugs.
Foster was initially charged with child destruction and pleaded not guilty.
She later pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of section 58 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, administering drugs or using instruments to procure abortion, which was accepted by the prosecution.