Following the death of a two-year old, a mother and her partner have been sentenced to 27 years on account of prolonged abuse, as reported by the Metropolitan police.
Scott O’Connor, 36, of Whinchat Road was convicted of manslaughter and given an 18-year-old custodial sentence with an added 5-year extended license period; while the mother Zoe Coutts, 35, Crayford was convicted on account of gross negligence and allowing the death of her child. She was sentenced to 9 years and 109 days in jail.
The couple was convicted at Southwark Crown Court on 25 March after a 4-week trial and sentenced on Friday, 8 May.
Kol Page was discovered breathless at Bromley, in Downham Way on 25 April 2022, and emergency services checked in at 9:44 a.m. The two-year-old was found by paramedics, with bruising on his head and face and a major abdominal injury consistent with a punch or stamp.
Kol survived the attack but suffered fatal brain injuries and required extensive aftercare. The two-year-old spent 14 months in hospital before being taken over by foster carers, where he spent a further two years before succumbing to his injuries on 29 June 2024, at the age of four years and three months.
Both mother Coutts and her boyfriend O’Connor initially blamed the injuries on the child’s “clumsiness” before they turned on each other.
The Metropolitan Detectives investigated and examined hundreds of messages, CCTV footage and witness accounts to prove and establish that Kol’s injuries were sustained during his stay with the couple. Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn reported.
“Kol was an innocent two-year-old who suffered intense abuse in a place where he should have been the safest, his home.”
Kol’s foster mother recounted in a victim impact statement,
“I almost immediately fell in love with him, I was aware he needed someone to take care of him and protect him. He was in a lot of pain.”
She went on to describe how Kol bonded with animals and how the family bought him guinea pigs after observing how calm he became around the animals.
DCI Blackburn paid tribute to the foster carers and medical staff who looked after Kol. She said,
“Kol was a cheeky, boisterous and very loving boy. He was destined to have a bright future that was cut short by the very people who should have protected him.”
The case was described as a heartbreaking one by a NSPCC spokesperson and the Metropolitan Police have further urged anyone concerned with a child’s wellbeing to come forward.
