Latest news with #stillborn
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
Mother who hid the bodies of two dead babies inside blankets and binbags walks free from court
A woman who concealed the remains of her two stillborn babies inside her home has been given a suspended sentence. Egle Zilinskaite, 31, of Crwys Road in Cardiff, hid the bodies of two full-term babies inside her home after she delivered them 'alone and without medical support ', a court was told. Mother-of-five Zilinskaite concealed the pregnancies due to a 'fundamental distrust of authorities, both in the UK and based on her experiences in Lithuania' where she was born, a judge sitting at Cardiff Crown Court said on Thursday. Zilinskaite was sentenced to two years' imprisonment suspended for two years, and is required to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirement. The judge said that the deaths were 'not' her fault. Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, sentencing, told the defendant: 'You made a deliberate decision not to seek assistance from the authorities because you knew the authorities could and would remove your children if necessary.' She added: 'While you have committed serious offences, the deaths of your children were not your fault, and you have suffered the loss of two children at birth.' On November 26, 2022, police officers were searching the end-of-terrace property in Maes-Y-Felin, Wildmill, Bridgend, as part of a separate inquiry when they noticed a 'foul smell' coming from the upstairs area of the house, the court heard. Upon investigating, they discovered the first baby concealed in blankets and bin bags in the property's attic, and the second baby wrapped in bed sheets in an airing cupboard, the judge was told. Medical examination later revealed the children, referred to as Baby A and Baby B in court, were full-term babies and the biological children of Zilinskaite and her then partner, Zilvinas Ledovskis, who lived with her. Due to the severe decomposition of the remains, no cause of death could be ascertained, the court heard. A pathologist however found it was 'not unreasonable' to conclude both babies died at around the time of birth due to the presence of placenta and umbilical cord. The court heard Zilinskaite gave birth to the first baby in August 2019 at a separate address, then moved the remains to the house in Bridgend where she delivered a second stillborn child in September 2021. During the sentence hearing, defence lawyer Matthew Roberts told the judge Zilinskaite feared she would be blamed for the stillbirths at the time. He said: 'Her emotions were all over the place, she didn't know what to do. 'She had a difficult relationship with her partner who was an alcoholic and was also emotionally abusive towards her.' Zilinskaite pleaded guilty to two counts of concealing the birth of a child and two counts of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body at a previous hearing on April 10 2024. At the time, her former partner Ledovskis, now 50, of Phoebe Road in Swansea, pleaded not guilty to the same charges. The van driver was due to face trial later this year charged with two counts of concealing the birth of a child and two counts of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body. Following a review of the evidence, the van driver was found not guilty at a hearing before Cardiff Crown Court, after the prosecution said it would be presenting no evidence against him. Addressing Mr Ledovskis, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, said: 'The prosecution has offered no evidence against you and accordingly I direct not guilty verdicts to be entered. 'That concludes the proceedings so far as you are concerned.' A funeral also took place in May this year during which the babies were buried, the court was told.
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
Mum who buried bodies of two dead babies in binbags at home after hiding their births is SPARED jail
A MUM who admitted to hiding her two stillborn babies in sheets and bin bags had been given a suspended sentence. Egle Zilinskaite, 31, gave birth to two stillborn babies three years apart and hid them in her Wales terrace house. 2 2 She was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, suspended for two years as well as 200 hours of unpaid work and a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement. The judge said that the deaths were "not [her] fault". At Cardiff Crown Court today, the judge said she had concealed the pregnancies due to a "fundamental mistrust of authorities, both in the UK and based on her experiences in Lithuania" where she was born. He added: "You made a deliberate decision not to seek assistance from the authorities because you knew the authorities could and would remove your children if necessary." She pleaded guilty to two counts of concealing the birth of a child and two counts of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body.
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Suspended sentence for Wildmill mum who hid stillborn babies' bodies
A mum who hid the remains of her two stillborn babies inside her home has been given a suspended prison sentence. Egle Žilinskaitė, 31, hid the bodies of two full-term babies inside her home after she delivered them "alone and without medical support".The mother-of-five concealed the pregnancies due to a "fundamental distrust of authorities, both in the UK and based on her experiences in Lithuania" where she was born, a judge at Cardiff Crown Court said on Thursday.Žilinskaitė was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement. Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, sentencing, told Žilinskaitė: "You made a deliberate decision not to seek assistance from the authorities because you knew the authorities could and would remove your children if necessary."While you have committed serious offences, the deaths of your children were not your fault and you have suffered the loss of two children at birth."On 26 November 2022, police officers were searching the end-of-terrace property in Maes-Y-Felin, Wildmill, Bridgend, as part of a separate inquiry when they noticed a "foul smell" coming from the upstairs area of the house, the court heard. Upon investigating, they discovered the first baby concealed in blankets and bin bags in the house's attic, and the second baby wrapped in bed sheets in an airing cupboard, the judge was examination later revealed the children, referred to as Baby A and Baby B in court, were full-term babies and the biological children of Žilinskaitė and her then partner, Žilvinas Ledovskis, who lived with to the severe decomposition of the remains, no cause of death could be ascertained, the court heard.A pathologist however found it was "not unreasonable" to conclude both babies died at around the time of birth due to the presence of a placenta and an umbilical court heard Žilinskaitė gave birth to the first baby in August 2019 at a separate address, then moved the remains to the house in Bridgend where she delivered a second stillborn child in September 2021. During the sentencing hearing, defence lawyer Matthew Roberts told the judge Žilinskaitė feared she would be blamed for the stillbirths at the said: "Her emotions were all over the place, she didn't know what to do."She had a difficult relationship with her partner who was an alcoholic and was also emotionally abusive towards her."Zilinskaite pleaded guilty to two counts of concealing the birth of a child and two counts of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body at a previous hearing on 10 April the time, her former partner Ledovskis, now 50, of Phoebe Road in Swansea, pleaded not guilty to the same was however found not guilty on all counts in May this year after the prosecution said it would be presenting no evidence against him.A funeral also took place in May this year during which the babies were buried, the court was told.
The Sun
08-07-2025
- The Sun
My ex tricked me into taking abortion pills and I sobbed as I delivered our baby stillborn… but here's why I forgave him
BROOK Fiske sobbed as she gently cradled her stillborn son Kai in her arms. But her unimaginable pain was not down to a health condition or misfortune - it was the result of her evil ex partner Sikander Imran spiking her with abortion tablets. 8 8 8 'I had loved Sikander,' Brook, 44, exclusively told The Sun. 'But I realise he was a monster and I never really knew him at all.' When Imran first asked out Brook she had no interest in dating him. Recently divorced, with three kids aged 16, 13, and seven, she was working as an ICU nurse and was too busy. But the mum-of-three, who lives in Arlington County, Virginia, says doctor Imran was charming and funny - as well as persistent. Ultimate betrayal 'A few months later we went for ice cream and started seeing each other,' she recalls. 'Sikander was good fun, the life of every party and had lots of friends. Kind and caring, he made me feel looked after. 'We loved each other but I didn't want to marry again and he was OK with that.' Brook says that Imran, a Muslim from Pakistan, had 'traditional family values'. Relationship secret Brook says: 'He told me that his mum wouldn't accept him being with a white girl. I thought maybe when my kids grew up, we'd move in together. 'But we kept our relationship a secret from most people, even his older brother who was a doctor at the same hospital. I never met him as Sikander worried that he might tell their mum.' 8 8 8 Brook had been dating Imran for two years when his mum visited from Pakistan. 'Sikander introduced me as a friend,' she recalls. 'She was a lovely woman and I'm sure she guessed we were together. My mum met Sikander and, like everyone else, loved him.' The couple had been together three years in the Summer of 2016 when Imran had to move hours away for advanced training. 'I told him that sadly long distance wouldn't work for me,' Brook says. 'He agreed and talked about letting his mum arrange a marriage for him. We loved each other but distance and his culture meant we didn't have a future.' However, the couple decided to go on a few holidays together and it was six weeks after a trip in February 2017 that Brook discovered she was pregnant. 'Sikander was shocked and asked me if I could terminate it,' she says. 'I told him it wasn't something I could do but I reassured him I could raise the baby alone and I didn't need any money or involvement.' But Imran didn't back down. Brook says: 'He was even offering to get an abortion drug and stay with me while it took effect. 'He said he worried what people back in Pakistan might say and that his mum could face ridicule but I wondered if that was just an excuse.' But as the pregnancy went on Brook noticed a decline in Imran's mental health. Stomach burned 'He didn't drink but began calling me drunk and hyperventilating,' she says. 'He claimed to be depressed and suicidal.' But in May 2017 when she was 17 weeks pregnant Imran asked Brook to visit so that they could plan how to raise the baby. 'Sikander made me coffee the morning after I arrived, but my stomach burned when I drank it,' she recalls. 'He asked if it was too strong and I said yes but as we went shopping my stomach hurt all day. 'For weeks he kept asking me to terminate. Unusually, Sikander, normally so caring, didn't ask if I was okay.' WHAT IS THE ABORTION PILL? The abortion pill is taken to end a pregnancy and is made up of two parts which must be taken, 24 to 48 hours apart, one at a clinic and one at home. The first part is mifepristone, which works by blocking the hormone progesterone. Once blocked, the uterus lining breaks down and the pregnancy cannot continue. The second pill, called misoprostol is inserted into the vagina and makes the womb contract. This engenders cramping and bleeding about two hours later. Back home the pair had dinner and Imran made Brook a cup of tea. 'Drinking it, I swallowed granules and spotted more sloshing around,' Brook says. 'I'd ground up medications for patients' many times. 'My mind raced back to Sikander's offer to get me the termination drug. Horror struck me as the thought came that he might have put the drugs in the tea. 'I went to the bathroom, tried to throw up but couldn't. I doubted myself, Sikander loved me, I didn't think he would really do this.' When Imran popped to the loo Brook scooped granules from the cup into a small plastic bag and put that in her handbag. She then made her excuses to go to bed, planning to sneak out once he had fallen asleep. 'Waiting for him to nod off, I felt a pop and started bleeding,' Brook says. 'I rushed to the bathroom and fell to my knees, screaming in pain and fear. 'I knew then that he had murdered my baby and at that moment I worried that he might hurt me too.' When Imran rushed into the bathroom, Brook pleaded with him to call an ambulance. 'But he told me that there was no need as he was a doctor and we could 'do this together',' she recalls. 'I begged and when he refused again I told him that his son was dying and if he wouldn't call an ambulance I would.' Imran called the ambulance and paramedics arrived where she was taken to the labour delivery unit at her local hospital. 'I begged nurses to make Sikander leave,' she says, 'I told them I wasn't safe with him and he was led away to the father's room.' Brook explained to doctors that she thought she had been given the abortion drug Misoprostol and said that the remnants were in her handbag. The mum sobbed as she delivered her little boy Kai stillborn. 'The nurse let me hold him,' she remembers. 'He was so tiny, and Sikander stood beside me and wept. I think it was the first time that he saw our baby as human.' Doctors asked Brook whether she thought Imran had poisoned her and encouraged her to talk to him about it. 'I thought Sikander loved me, yet he'd probably killed our baby,' she says. 'That meant I didn't know him, I was terrified.' When Imran returned with food for Brook, she summoned up the courage to ask him whether he had done what she suspected. 8 'He denied it at first but when I told him that the granules from my cup were being tested he burst into tears,' she says. 'He admitted everything, saying he'd slipped crushed Misoprostol into my coffee that morning. 'It only gave me a stomach-ache, so he put a bigger dose in my tea. I was appalled.' The police arrived later and arrested Imran at the hospital, leaving Brook to deal with her grief. 'I held Kai for a few hours and got some photos and prints of his tiny feet before he was taken away for an autopsy,' she says. A funeral home collected Kai's remains and at his burial Brook finally met Imran's brother. 'He was dismayed by what his younger sibling had done,' she says. 'Kindly, he said a prayer for Kai at his burial.' Imran was charged with foetal homicide, assault and adulterating a beverage. He faced 20 years to life. 'I fell into a deep depression, blaming myself for loving a monster,' Brook says. 'Sometimes I just curled up on the floor and cried. 'My kids were devastated too, they'd been so looking forward to having a baby brother. 'I took three months of work, saw a therapist and exercised to look after myself. Writing down my feelings helped. 'I was angry, hurt and sad and I realised that if I focused on those feelings my life would be ruined. 'So, I decided to forgive Sikander. It was my way of letting go of the anger, hurt and sadness.' 8 Imran eventually pled guilty to foetal homicide, claiming he'd been mentally ill. But Brook wrote to the judge explaining that while she wanted Imran to serve time she didn't want him locked up forever. 'I explained that I was hopeful he could make something of his life and that he owed that to Kai,' she says. 'If Sikander was mentally ill, I hoped what his illness had driven him to do would encourage others to seek treatment before they did something terrible. 'At his sentencing, Sikander tearfully claimed he loved me, 'more than anyone in the world' and that he prayed daily for our baby. 'The judge said he didn't believe him and neither did I.' Imran, then 35, was sentenced to 20 years, but the Judge said he only would serve three because of Brook's leniency plea. Three years later he was deported to Pakistan. Brook says: 'I became a nursing teacher and using my experience, stressed to students the importance of checking patients were safe. 'Meanwhile, I met someone and fell pregnant. We're not together now but I have a four-year-old son who fills my heart with joy. 'He has helped repair the hole Sikander left when he killed our baby. I think about Kai every day and have a tattoo of his tiny footprints. 'I loved Kai's father and so did everyone else. He was a monster though and now I realise I never really knew him at all.'
The Sun
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Kelsey Parker's mum posts heartbreaking message after tragic death of grandson
KELSEY Parker's mum has broken her silence after her daughter's baby was born stillborn. Tom Parker's widow, Kelsey, revealed the devastating news this week that her son named Phoenix Parker-Lindsay, died just one week before his due date. 4 4 Kelsey - who announced in January she was expecting her first baby with boyfriend Will Lindsay, shared the news via a poem on Instagram. Now her mum, Diane Whitlock, took to her own Instagram to share her thoughts about the tragic news. "Good morning everyone. So I woke up this morning and it was a new day and I get out of bed and then I remembered Phoenix being born and his soul had already taken flight and I thought to myself people will say that life is so cruel," Diane said in a video. "But what if we have to walk the path we walk to learn what we need to learn because I believe that everything happens for a reason and I have to believe that." Diane added in the caption: "A special thought to beautiful Phoenix as his soul finds peace. "Life is cruel, but we have to keep going and keep following our path." Kelsey lost her childhood sweetheart husband Tom in 2022 aged 33 following a brain tumour diagnosis. She shares two children, five-year-old Aurelia and Bodhi, four, with The Wanted star. Kelsey went public with her new relationship in September last year, saying she knew her late husband would 'send the right man for her.' The 34-year-old excitedly revealed her pregnancy in January before being pictured ring shopping with her tree surgeon boyfriend, 27, earlier this month. Devastated Kelsey Parker announces tragic death of baby who was 'born sleeping' just a week before due date But she delivered the worst news this week when telling her fans Phoenix had been "born sleeping." Kelsey shared the devastating news by posting a poem to fans, "For Phoenix. Born sleeping, forever loved." The phoenix bird symbolises immortality, resurrection and life after death. Kelsey also wrote on Instagram: "Before I receive an influx of lovely messages and heartfelt well wishes, I want to just say that I truly appreciate everything you are all going to say and share. "But with the news being so raw, I would really like to ensure that we as a family are given space and time to process this devastating and earth-shattering news. "I love you all and thank you for your understanding and space." If you or someone you know needs support following the loss of a child, please reach out to charity Sands' helpline on 0808 164 3332. 4
