Breaking news: Mother admits killing baby in Camber
Lesley Dunford, 37, was charged in October last year with the murder of seven-month-old Harley Dunford on August 27 2003.
He was found dead in his cot at the family’s former seaside home in Pelwood Road, Camber.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdDunford’s three-year-old daughter Lucy died six months later, on February 2 2004.
In June 2012, Dunford was jailed for seven years for Lucy’s manslaughter after Lewes Crown Court heard the child died from asphyxia caused by forced blockage of her airways.
On Friday, Dunford, formerly of Windermere Close, Exeter, Devon, appeared at the same court, in front of Mr Justice Singh, to plead guilty to Harley’s murder.
Alan Kent QC, defending, said he met Dunford at Wandsworth Prison in London on Wednesday, where he concluded she had a defence to the murder charge.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBut after arriving at court on Friday, Dunford told him she intended to plead guilty - because she did not want to travel to court every day of a trial.
Mr Kent said: “That to me is not a good reason for a defendant to plead guilty and therefore we are submitting that it is an equivocal one.”
Mr Kent then asked for a brief adjournment to speak to Dunford, who sat rocking in her chair in the dock dressed in a T-shirt and wearing glasses.
Following the half-hour adjournment to discuss her case with her counsel, Dunford refused to come up to the courtroom from her cell, Mr Kent said.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdMr Justice Singh asked Mr Kent whether Dunford was aware of the consequences, to which he replied: “She does. I have spoken to her in clear and forthright terms about what will happen.”
The judge said: “In those circumstances, the only thing I can do is accept the plea and adjourn the case for sentencing.”
Mr Kent said he was confident no psychiatrist would consider her unfit to plea, adding: “It may be that the emotional turmoil is aggravating her but that, in my judgment, doesn’t make her unfit to plea.”
Prosecutor Philippa McAtasney QC did not open the details of the case, which was adjourned until March 18 for pre-sentence and psychiatric reports to be prepared.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdShe said: “So far as the Crown is concerned, we take the view that the defendant, having been properly advised, fully understands the court process.”
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2016, All Rights Reserved.
* Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.
Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad1) Make our website your homepage at www.ryeandbattleobserver.co.uk/
2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RyeandBattleObserver
3) Follow us on Twitter @RyeObs or @BattleObs
4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.
And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!
The Rye and Battle Observer - always the first with your local news.
Be part of it.