Mum killed five-week-old son by spiking baby bottle with paracetamol weeks after her own mother died

A teenage mum has admitted killing her 38 day-old baby son with an overdose of paracetamol, weeks after her own mother was killed in a car crash.

Ellie Jacobs, 19, who had written in her diary that she felt "absolutely nothing" for her son, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Archie Jacobs at Luton Crown Court on Wednesday.

Archie died on 5 June 2020, during the first coronavirus lockdown, and when his body was examined, police found two sets of fractures to his leg and foot.

An ambulance was called to Sunset Park caravan park in Whitfield Road in Biddlesden, just after 3pm to reports of cardiac arrest.

Archie Jacobs was taken to hospital, where he died.

A post-mortem examination found that the cause of Archie’s death was acute paracetamol toxicity.

At the start of her trial last week, Jacobs, of Moor Road in Rushden, Northamptonshire, denied charges of murder and child cruelty but on Wednesday the jury was told she had admitted manslaughter and child cruelty.

Prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff KC said the plea was acceptable to the prosecution and the judge, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker KC, discharged the jury.

At the opening of the case, Ms Bickerstaff said: "Archie was born on 28 April 2020 and he died on 5 June when he was just five weeks old. He died from a paracetamol overdose.

"Crushed-up adult paracetamol tablets were added to his bottle some time from the evening of 4 June or into the early hours of the 5th."

She said Jacobs had admitted only adding a pinch of paracetamol.

When Archie’s body was examined, it was found he had two sets of fractures - one to his right tibia and four to the big toe of his right foot. They were caused three to seven days before his death.

After her plea, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker KC said: "In this case Ellie Jacobs has decided she would accept her guilt of being responsible for death and causing fracture.

"She accepts she was responsible for death of her son by giving him an overdose of paracetamol.

"She does not accept she intended to kill her son or intended to cause him really serious bodily harm.

"The prosecution has decided it's not in the public interest to proceed in a trial of murder.”

Ms Bickerstaff said Ellie Jacobs was 16 when she gave birth to Archie and was living on a caravan site at Biddlesden, near Buckingham.

Just before his birth, her partner had moved out and Archie had been placed on a child protection plan.

At the time Archie was born, Ellie Jacobs' mother Sarah Jacobs had also lived on the site.

She had been supporting her daughter and grandson, but was killed weeks after Archie was born she got into a car with her boyfriend Christopher Mattin, a banned driver.

He was under the influence of drink and drugs and drove the car at 90mph along Stowe Avenue near Buckingham, before he lost control of the vehicle and ploughed into a tree.

Sarah Jacobs was killed instantly.

Mattin managed to escape from the vehicle, which burst into flames. He was later jailed for 10-and-a-half years.

Ms Bickerstaff KC said: “Following the death of her mother, Ellie Jacobs received offers from family friends, and from family, for herself and Archie to live with them, but she declined and also declined assistance from social services to go and stay at a mother-and-baby unit and she remained living at the caravan with Archie.“

She had regular contact with a social worker, the nurse, and the midwife but as Archie was born during the first Covid lockdown, some of the contact was via videocall, the court heard.

A social worker conducted weekly visits, despite the pandemic.

She noted the caravan was clean but cluttered with a lot of animals that made the place look “busy” but there was no smell in the caravan.

The police found a diary in the caravan in which Jacobs had written, less than two weeks before Archie’s death: "I don't know how much longer I can keep up this act of being ok. I don't even know what it feels like to be ok anymore.

"I don't think I will ever feel that again. I mean I feel like I've [sic] everything, even my home which is crazy because I have a roof over my head but this place just doesn't feel like home. I don't know where home is anymore.

"My home was always where my mum was. As long as I had my mum I was ok.

"I hate every single second I spend on this earth without her. It doesn't feel real, I wish this was all a nightmare and that soon I am going to wake up with my life back with my mum by my side because I am seriously starting to struggle with everything.

"I hate myself so much because every time I look over at Archie I feel absolute nothing, when he cries I just don't care, and when Kelly my neighbour takes him off my hands for a couple of hours to give me a break, I deep down hope for that break to never end.

"I don't know if it's right but when I am away from Archie I don't miss him at all, I just feel a weight lifted from my shoulders."

After Archie’s death a baby’s bottle was examined and contained evidence that suggested six crushed tablets had been added to it.

When questioned Jacobs said she had only added a “pinch” of paracetamol to the bottle.

Jacobs is due to be sentenced on 24 May. She has been remanded in custody.

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