Cuddly toy led police to find bodies
Missing 5-year-old and mum discovered in reservoir
ACHILD’S cuddly toy found by the water’s edge led police to find the bodies of a missing fiveyear-old and his mum in a reservoir, an inquest heard.
Hearings into the deaths of Stockport social worker Emma Sillett and her son Jenson Spellman, the subjects of a massive missing persons search last week, have formally been opened.
Emma, 41, and Jenson, (pictured right) were last seen at a McDonald’s restaurant on Tuesday, November 20. Their bodies were found the next day. Jenson’s father John Spellman raised the alarm after his partner and child failed to return home that evening.
Chesterfield Coroner’s Court heard officers found the mum’s black Peugeot 308 at the Valehouse reservoir, near Tintwistle, Derbyshire the following day. During a search, a cuddly toy and child’s torch were spotted by the water’s edge. As darkness fell, the search was called off. A specialist underwater team discovered the two bodies when they returned to the scene the next day.
ACHILD’S cuddly toy and torch found by the water’s edge led police to find the bodies of a missing five-year-old and his mum in a reservoir, an inquest heard.
Hearings into the deaths of Stockport social worker Emma Sillett and her son Jenson Spellman, the subjects of a massive missing persons’ search last week, have formally been opened.
Emma, 41, and Jenson, were last seen at a McDonald’s restaurant near their home on Tuesday, November 20.
Jenson’s father John Spellman raised the alarm after his partner and child failed to return home that evening.
Chesterfield Coroner’s Court heard officers found the mum’s black Peugeot 308 at the Valehouse reservoir, near Tintwistle, Derbyshire the following day.
During a search, a cuddly toy and child’s torch were spotted by the water’s edge. As darkness fell, the search was called off.
A specialist underwater team discovered the two bodies when they returned to the scene the next day.
Postmortems indicate the mother and son drowned, the inquest heard.
The reservoir is less than three miles from the home Emma shared with John and their little boy in the village of Dinting, near Glossop.
Detective Chief Inspector Sally Blaiklock told the court Emma and Jenson were seen on CCTV leaving the house at 8.45am on November 20.
But Jenson did not make it to Simmondley Primary School in Glossop. He was caught on CCTV at a McDonald’s in Hattersley, just a few miles from home that lunchtime. The mother and son stayed for an hour before driving off. Neither were seen alive again.
Concerned when they did not return home, Mr Spellman rang 999 at 11.30pm and reported both as missing, the hearing was told.
Police spoke to him again the next day and the information he gave them led officers to the deserted reservoir high up on the edge of the Peak District.
DCI Blaiklock said Ms Spellman’s vehicle was found in an unofficial car park normally used by United Utilities workers.
“Items were found which were thought to belong to Emma and Jenson, including a torch and a cuddly toy, at the water’s edge,” said DCI Blaikman.
“The next day a specialist team arrived at 7am and at 11am the underwater search unit found two bodies in the water.”
Postmortems carried out by Dr Stuart Hamilton at Leicester Royal Infirmary gave the preliminary cause of death as drowning. No other injuries were found on either body.
Detectives have said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.
Derbyshire Senior Coroner Dr Robert Hunter adjourned the inquests pending the results of toxicology tests being carried out and further police investigations.
The inquest heard that Ms Sillett worked for Stockport council’s social services department in their adoption team.
Neighbours living near the family’s three bedroom semi-detached house described the couple and their son as ‘a great family.’
When she was reported missing many took to social media urging her to contact them.
‘The underwater search unit found two bodies in the water’