Paris Mayo: Accused mum denies causing newborn's head injuries

Paris Mayo is accused of fracturing her son's skull, the court has heard

A teenager accused of murdering her newborn son told a court she was sure she did not cause his head injuries.

Paris Mayo, 19, was 15 when Stanley was born at her former home in Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, in 2019.

She is accused of fracturing his skull, possibly with her foot, and stuffing pieces of cotton wool into his mouth.

But Ms Mayo, who denies murder, told Worcester Crown Court she believed Stanley's injuries were caused by him falling to the floor as she gave birth.

Warning - this article contains distressing content.

Under cross-examination by prosecution barrister Jonas Hankin KC, Ms Mayo said she did not really remember what happened when she gave birth, on her own, in the living room of the family home, on 23 March.

'Trying to help him'

The defendant, who now lives in Ruardean, Gloucestershire, told the court she did not cause his fractured skull by dropping him, hitting him or stamping on his head.

"I know I didn't hurt him by accident," she said. "All I was trying to do was help him."

The jury also heard Ms Mayo stopped using a period tracking app on her phone in July 2018, after she became pregnant, and that she had searched the internet for information about abortions.

When Mr Hankin asked why she had lied to her mother when she asked her if she was pregnant, Ms Mayo said she did not want to believe it was true.

"I had convinced myself so much that I wasn't," she said. "I guess I was scared, I didn't want it to be true. They (her parents) would have been very disappointed in me."

'Not clever enough'

Ms Mayo told the court her father, who the jury previously heard died in April 2019, had often told her she was not clever enough.

"He told me I wasn't smart enough, I wouldn't get a good enough job," she told the jury. "He told me, 'You'll have six kids by the time you're 20'".

She said she had put her weight gain down to eating more and that she had experienced repeated sickness in the early stages of the pregnancy.

She admitted her body had changed before she gave birth, with the court also hearing she had studied childcare at John Kyrle High School.

Ms Mayo began giving evidence at her trial on Monday when she told Bernard Richmond KC, defending, she did not acknowledge her pregnancy until the day she gave birth.

She also said she loved Stanley and "always think about what he would have been now".

The trial continues.