MY NIGHTMARE IS FINALLY OVER

A Woman accused of killing her baby has spoken for the first time of her four years of turmoil after a judge threw her case out.

Victoria Scott said she now wanted to finally lay her 10-week-old son Dylan to rest and concentrate on being a good step-mum.

And the 21-year-old revealed a medical condition meant she would never have another baby of her own.

A retrial of Miss Scott was yesterday halted at Leeds Crown Court by Mr Justice Holland after her lawyers argued it was not in the public interest to pursue the case.

Miss Scott said: "I have not been able to grieve. I have not been able to bury him. The police have kept my son's body for nearly four years. I cannot explain how that makes me feel.

"Now this is over I just want to say a quiet goodbye to Dylan. He can finally be at peace."

Miss Scott, who was 17 when she gave birth to Dylan, had no contact with his father.

She was in a new relationship, with Darren Wareing, and had care of his daughter, now seven, after the death of the child's mother.

For the past three years Miss Scott's bail conditions banned her having unsupervised contact with children and from living at home.

Now wants to rebuild her life at the home she last shared with Mr Wareing at Riverside in Rawcliffe, near Goole, in 2004.

She said: "We wanted children, but that has been taken away from us. Darren's daughter has started to call me 'mum' and I want to concentrate on being a good mother to her.

"I just want to go home to Darren. He has been fantastic."

Dylan died on May 7, 2003, at Leeds General Hospital after his heart failed a day earlier. He had suffered haemorrhages in both eyes and brain damage.

Doctors who treated him believed he had been shaken to death and a year after he died Miss Scott was charged with murdering her son.

She was remanded in jail and bailed a month later. She moved in with her grandparents in Ben Rhydding, West Yorkshire, and began working at a bank.

Last year Miss Scott stood trial at Sheffield Crown Court accused of manslaughter.

After several days of deliberation the jury failed to reach a verdict, they were discharged and a retrial was ordered.

Yesterday a bewildered and emotional Miss Scott was told by Mr Justice Holland, sitting at Leeds Crown Court, the retrial would not go ahead after a series of submissions from her barrister, Robert Smith QC.

He argued the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) case relied totally on medical experts. There was no other independent evidence Dylan had been assaulted. The defence relied on one medical expert who said Dylan probably died after having a virus.

Mr Smith QC said the Court of Appeal ruled in another "baby shaking case" there had to be other evidence of an assault if the case rests on conflicting medical evidence.

Mr Justice Holland said the public interest of pursuing a prosecution against Miss Scott had been satisfied in the first trial, before releasing her from bail.

Miss Scott said: "It is unbelievable to be treated this way for so long. I understand why I had to be investigated, but I am so angry with the way the police have been. The investigation has destroyed everything for me.

"It will take a lot to get back to normal. I don't think I know what normal is anymore"

Detective Chief Inspector Sharon Fielding, who led the investigation for Humberside Police, said she was disappointed the case would not proceed.

She said: "While the legal process can be complicated, we must not forget a baby has lost his life and it was absolutely right it be thoroughly investigated."

Humberside Chief Crown Prosecutor Nigel Cowgill said: "At the first trial the jury was unable to reach a verdict. We carefully considered this fact, but decided it was in the public interest for this matter to continue before a different jury. I am satisfied this was the appropriate course of action."

h.jones@hdmp.co.uk

Links

Cruse Bereavement Care

www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk

Humberside Police

www.humberside.police.uk