Mother who smothered baby 50 years ago spared jail

A MOTHER who admitted to killing her baby more than 50 years ago was spared jail by a judge who said the guilt she had suffered was punishment enough.

As a 15-year-old schoolgirl in 1963, Melody Casson claimed her son, Wayne Harper, died when she fell asleep and accidentally lay on him when he was 18 days old.

In truth, she had tried to stop the crying infant waking the household, by placing a cushion over his face. She did not intend to hurt him but it resulted in his death.

A pathologist in 1963 concluded the cause of Wayne’s death was asphyxia, consistent with Casson’s explanation. However, the guilt became too much to bear for Casson, now 67, and she finally confessed to police last year.

She pleaded guilty to manslaughter of her son at Leicester Crown Court. Casson also admitted committing perjury in a coroner’s court when giving evidence about Wayne’s death.

She was given a two-year jail sentence, suspended for two years, with supervision.

Mrs Justice Thirwall told Casson: “It’s important it’s understood by everyone that you didn’t intend to kill your baby.

“You were 15, you were a schoolgirl, you were a child and you’ve lived your youth and all your adult life in the shadow of these offences.

“The punishment inflicted upon you will be lifelong, until the day you die, and nothing I do will alter that.”