Paris Mayo: Teenager created false memory, trial hears

A forensic psychiatrist told the court Paris Mayo could have created a false memory to repress the murder

A mother accused of murdering her baby son has created a false memory in order to repress her actions, a psychiatrist has told her trial.

Paris Mayo, 19, was 15 when she gave birth to Stanley 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.

Ms Mayo denies murder, saying she believed Stanley's injuries were caused by him falling as she gave birth.

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Appearing as an expert witness for the defence, forensic psychiatrist Dr John Sandford told Worcester Crown Court that Paris Mayo had "taken out the bad bits, the bits that are hard to live with - that she extinguished the life of her baby."

He said that, in his opinion, Paris Mayo was in denial and at no time did she recognise that she was pregnant.

The defendant, who now lives in Ruardean, Gloucestershire, had carried on taking part in her school PE lessons and seeing a nurse at her GP surgery, he told the court.

'More common than triplets'

"As a 15-year-old girl giving birth, she went into a state of shock, of panic and distress, with very high anxiety and emotional trauma," Dr Sandford said.

"Such events could lead to a disturbance of the balance of her mind."

He told the court that being in denial of a pregnancy was recognised by the medical profession and was "more common that having triplets".

Prosecutors allege Ms Mayo put her foot on her baby's head before stuffing cotton wool down his throat

When questioned about the baby's death, Dr Sandford said the teenager had "repressed the actions".

"She cannot acknowledge it, but she must know that she did it," he said.

The jury heard that, by putting the baby's body into a bin bag, the teenager's actions were that of "somebody emotionally numb and damaged".

Dr Sandford said it was his professional opinion that Ms Mayo had created a false memory "in which she doesn't have to face the consequences of her actions," but told the court that it was also possible that she was "deliberately and deceitfully lying".

The trial continues.