A Man Who Caused The Death Of His Unborn Son Has Been Jailed For Life
“It has always been about Kevin and the life that he wanted to have,” said his ex-girlfriend, who suffered life-threatening injuries in the attack.
A court artist's sketch of Kevin Wilson (right) and his 17-year-old accomplice.
Elizabeth Cook / PA WIRE
Kevin Wilson, 21, wore a motorbike helmet to disguise himself as he attacked Malorie Bantala in a street in Peckham, southeast London, with the help of a 17-year-old accomplice.
Their son was delivered stillborn by emergency caesarian section.
Bantala, who at 32 weeks had nearly reached full term, suffered life-threatening internal bleeding and a fractured hand due to the ferocity of the attack, which took place on 15 June 2015.
In a statement read out in court on Thursday, Bantala described how the attack had impacted on her life but emphasised that it was her son, Joel, who was the real victim.
She said: "People often refer to me as the 'victim' of a horrific attack, which I honestly hate. I feel like I'm the only person who feels that I'm not the victim, the real victim of this attack is my son, Joel; an innocent baby who did nothing bad to anyone. My attackers had the opportunity at a life, they've lived, they've loved, they've travelled, and they've had life-changing experiences. My son will never have that."
The 22-year-old added: "The moment Joel died inside of me I lost everything, literally.
"So now I'm left with a suitcase full of his clothes, hand prints and footprints, and some pictures."
Malorie Bantala outside the Old Bailey in December.
Anthony Devlin / PA WIRE
Bantala said she could not understand why the teenage defendant had participated in the attack that ended her son's life, but said: "Kevin did have a reason to kill my son; he never wanted to be a father to his child.
"It was always about him and how it was going to stop him having the life that he wanted, it has always been about Kevin and the life that he wanted to have."
The pair had been in an on-off relationship when Bantala fell pregnant.
Jurors at the Old Bailey heard that she decided to keep the baby despite Wilson's repeated attempts to persuade her to have an abortion.
A judge sentenced Wilson, a former teaching assistant, to life imprisonment with a minimum sentence of 16 years for causing grievous bodily harm with intent and child destruction.
The judge called it a "cowardly, vile, callous" attack.
The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was jailed for 14 years.
The pair had denied all charges but were found guilty in December 2015.