Teenage mum admits killing baby with paracetamol overdose after her own mother was killed by boyfriend in car crash
10 May 2023, 20:19
A teenage mum has admitted to killing her five-week-old son with an overdose of paracetamol.
Ellie Jacobs previously denied murder and cruelty towards her son Archie, who died in June 2020.
But today, Jacobs admitted to manslaughter and cruelty.
Prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff KC confirmed that the prosecution accepted the plea.
Opening of the case, Ms Bickerstaff said: "Archie was born on April 28, 2020, and he died on June 5 when he was just 5 weeks. He died from a paracetamol overdose.
"Crushed up, adult paracetamol tablets were added to his bottle some time from the evening of June 4 or into the early hours of the 5th."
Jacobs admitted to adding a pinch of paracetamol, according to Ms Bickerstaff.
Archie's body had two sets of fractures after it was examined post-death, one to his right tibia and four to one of his big toes, which were caused anywhere between three and seven days before his death.
Jacobs was 16 when she gave birth to her son, who lived on a caravan site at Biddlesden, near Buckingham.
He died just weeks after the death of Jacobs' mother, Sarah Jacobs, who was killed in a road crash in May 2020.
Christopher Mattin - Sarah's partner - was jailed for 10-and-a-half years last year after losing control of their car, which crashed into a tree and killed Sarah while travelling at 91mph on a 30mph road.
Mr Justice Jeremy Baker KC, told the jury: "In this case Ellie Jacobs has decided she would accept her guilt of being responsible for death and causing fracture.
"She accepts she was responsible for death of her son by giving him an overdose of paracetamol. She does not accept she intended to kill her son or intended to cause him really serious bodily harm."
Ms Bickerstaff KC said: "Following the death of her mother, Ellie Jacobs received offers from family friends, and from family, for herself and Archie to live with them, but she declined and also declined assistance from Social Services to go and stay at a mother and baby unit and she remained living at the caravan with Archie."
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A diary found by police written by Jacobs just weeks before his death reads: "I don't know how much longer I can keep up this act of being ok. I don't even know what it feels like to be ok anymore.
"I don't think I will ever feel that again. I mean I feel like I've (sic) everything, even my home which is crazy because I have a roof over my head but this place just doesn't feel like home.
"I don't know where home is anymore. My home was always where my mum was. As long as I had my mum I was ok."
Jacobs went on: "I hate every single second I spend on this earth without her. It doesn't feel real, I wish this was all a nightmare and that soon I am going to wake up with my life back with my mum by my side because I am seriously starting to struggle with everything.
"I hate myself so much because every time I look over at Archie I feel absolute nothing, when he cries I just don't care, and when Kelly my neighbour takes him off my hands for a couple of hours to give me a break, I deep down hope for that break to never end.
"I don't know if it's right but when I am away from Archie I don't miss him at all I just feel a weight lifted from my shoulders. I have no clue if it's just because I have a lot going on right now and I am struggling without my mum, or if it's because of Jay because Archie is a reminder of Jay and all the hurt he caused me emotionally and physically!"
