Paris Mayo, now 19 years old, is on trial for the murder of her newborn son, Stanley Mayo, who tragically died in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, on the evening of March 23, 2019. Disturbing details emerged in court as the prosecution presented its case, alleging that the 15-year-old girl assaulted her baby and stuffed his throat with cotton wool to prevent the discovery of her pregnancy.

In his opening statement to the jury, prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC revealed that Mayo gave birth to her son alone in the living room of her family home while her parents were upstairs. The court heard that immediately after the birth, the teenager assaulted the newborn, causing fractures to his skull and inflicting severe brain injuries.

Approximately two hours later, realizing that the baby was still alive, Mayo allegedly stuffed pieces of cotton wool down the infant’s throat in an attempt to suffocate him. She then placed the baby’s lifeless body in a bin bag and left it outside the front door of her home.

The following day, when Mayo asked her brother to dispose of the bag, claiming it was filled with vomit, her mother grew suspicious due to its unusual weight. Upon opening the bag, she made the horrifying discovery of her grandson’s body.

Hankin told the court, “The defendant killed the baby to prevent the discovery of her pregnancy and the birth. She didn’t want a baby.” Despite having a loving and supportive family who could have provided help and advice, Mayo chose to commit this act of violence.

Mayo, who denies the charge of murder, claims that she was unaware of her pregnancy and that the baby was not moving or breathing after birth.

A postmortem examination determined that the baby was born near or at full-term, weighing 7lb 12oz, and was born alive. It also revealed the presence of cotton wool forcefully lodged deep within the child’s esophagus, only discovered during the autopsy.

Mayo asserted that she used the cotton wool to clean fluid coming from the baby’s mouth and placed the body in a bag to conceal it from her mother.

The court heard heartbreaking exchanges between Mayo and her family members after the discovery of the baby’s body. Her mother, while calling emergency services, expressed her anguish, saying, “You could have told me, darling, you could have told me. Poor baby. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Mayo, in conversations with paramedics and a midwife, claimed ignorance of her pregnancy and made statements suggesting she believed the baby’s death was not her fault.

The prosecution argued that Mayo purposefully concealed her pregnancy, as observed by friends and family who noticed her wearing loose and baggy clothing in the weeks leading up to the birth.

As the trial continues, further evidence and testimony will shed light on the circumstances surrounding this tragic case.