Family ‘living in fear’ after killer mother is released from care

THE HUSBAND of a woman who killed their five-year-old son by setting alight the car he was in has said his family are living in fear after she was released from the care of mental health services.

Teresa Sheldon was detained under a hospital order in July 2015 after she pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility for the death of son Tommy, inset. He was injured in the blaze in his mother’s Ford Fiesta in Hursley in Hampshire, in August 2014 and died a fortnight later in hospital.

His mother, from Dartford, Kent, also pleaded not guilty at Winchester Crown Court to the attempted murder of another person, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Her husband, Ross Sheldon, said he had been made aware that Mrs Sheldon was released from care last month but his requests for safeguarding restrictions had been ignored by the health authorities responsible for her.

This comes despite the High Court judge, Mr Justice Dingemans, who sentenced Mrs Sheldon, warning that she would pose an ongoing risk to herself and Mr Sheldon’s family.

Mr Sheldon, from Southampton, said: “I feel angry, agitated and most importantly upset because my concern is for the welfare of my family – for all of the safeguarding agencies involved they have done nothing at all, which I am disgusted about.”

He wants Mrs Sheldon not to be allowed to reside in or visit Hampshire, particularly Southampton, not to contact Mr Sheldon’s family, for her to wear a tracking tag and for him to be provided with a recent photograph of her.

Both the Department of Justice and Department of Health declined to comment.