Mum’s screams after finding body of teen daughter’s baby just hours after she ‘killed newborn and stuffed body in bag’
A MUM screamed “hysterically” after finding the body of her teen daughter’s baby in a bin bag after she suffocated him, a court heard.
Paris Mayo, then aged 15, had taken a warm bath believing she had period pains when she “unexpectedly” went into labour, it is said.
She gave birth to the baby, named Stanley, in the living room of her family home in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, while her mum tended to her sick dad upstairs.
Mayo then allegedly assaulted the baby – causing a severe brain injury – before suffocating him with cotton wool two hours later when she realised he was still alive.
Worcester Crown Court heard she later messaged her older brother, saying: “When you go outside, can you put the black bag in the bin, it’s just full of sick from last night, please”.
But when Mayo’s mum looked inside, she screamed out hysterically “there’s a baby in the bag”, jurors heard.
Emergency crews were called, with the mum heard telling her young daughter: “You could have told me, darling. Poor baby. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Paramedics arrived and found Mayo in the house sitting with her mum, holding the baby who was “wrapped in a sheet” and showed no signs of life.
Jurors heard the teen said she didn’t know she was pregnant and the baby had “fallen out of her”.
She had hoped her mum would think the newborn was “rubbish” and “throw it out”, it was said.
Mayo was later heard asking “Is it my fault? Did I do this?”, and later “It’s my fault, it’s my fault” as the family travelled to hospital.
The court was told baby Stanley was born full-term or nearly full-term on the night of March 23, 2019.
A post mortem found he suffocated after a piece of cotton wool blocked his oesophagus.
The material had been forced so deeply down his neck that it was only discovered at autopsy.
Mayo claims the baby was not moving or breathing after she gave birth and she used cotton wool to clean up “stuff” coming out of its mouth.
Opening the murder trial, Prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC said: “The birth took place in the living room of the family home where Miss Mayo lived with her parents and brother.
“She was alone and delivered the baby unaided while her unwell father was upstairs having dialysis being overseen by her mother.
“Following delivery the defendant assaulted the baby to the upper front left and right side of his head causing a severe brain injury.
“Approximately two hours later, realising the baby was still alive, she stuffed pieces of cotton wool into his mouth and neck.
“She put the baby’s body inside a bin bag and deposited it on the front doorstep before going up to bed.”
Mayo, of Ruardean, Gloucestershire, denies murder.
The trial continues.
