Mom Kills Disabled Son After Vital Care is Withdrawn Because of Lockdown
Olga Freeman, 40, had a breakdown while under pressure to look after son Dylan, suffocating him at their home in Acton, west London, and leaving his body under a duvet surrounded by toys.
The Old Bailey heard Dylan, who had autism and a range of conditions restricting his sight and communication which mean he needed 24-hour care, had previously been attending a special school five-days-a-week.
“During lockdown he was not able to attend school, the burden of care had fallen more heavily on the defendant”, prosecutor Joel Smith told the court.
“(She) had been struggling to meet Dylan’s care needs for the last year as he became older and bigger and more difficult to care for.”
The prosecutor said a friend had been helping Freeman out for around 12-hours a week, but the mother’s appeal to her local council for more assistance had not been successful.
Today, Freeman appeared at court via videolink from hospital to plead not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility, following assessments by psychiatrists of her mental health.
“The three psychiatrists all agree that the defendant’s responsibility at the time of the act of the killing was diminished and at a low level, for the reason she was suffering from a depressive illness with psychotic symptoms in the lead-up to the offence”, said Jane Bickerstaff QC, representing Freeman.
Freeman’s ex-husband is renowned lifestyle and fashion photographer Dean Freeman, whose has published photography books on David Beckham, the Spice Girls, Kelly Brook and Michael Buble.
The father, who was away in the Spain in August last year, was “beyond devastated” by his son’s death and said in a statement: “Dylan was a beautiful, bright, inquisitive and artistic child who loved to travel, visit art galleries and swim.
“We travelled extensively over the years together spending such memorable time in places including Brazil, France and Spain. I can’t begin to comprehend his loss.”
The court heard a friend, Edita Surpickaja, had noticed Freeman struggling with her son’s care needs over the previous year, as his behaviour became “especially challenging”.
“Ms Surpickaja had only been able to offer assistance for around 12 hours per week and had noticed a decline in the defendant’s mental health”, said Mr Smith.
Six days before Dylan’s death, Ms Surpickaja said Freeman made a worrying comment about being “the second Jesus”. On August 15 the friend spent part of the day helping with Dylan’s care, and was called by Freeman in the evening asking her to return to the Acton home.
Freeman was insisting she had to go to Jerusalem, before admitting she had killed her son and it was “best for him”. She added: “This is my job: to sacrifice my beloved child to create a balance in this world.”
Dylan’s body was found under a duvet in the master bedroom with toys lying close to him. Freeman later told police she had used a bra and her hands to kill her son, and had also put a piece of sponge in his throat to stop him from breathing.
“She had then placed his body where he liked to sleep with his toys to allow him to die with ‘dignity and kindness’”, the prosecutor said Freeman had told officers.
Kristen Katsouris, from the CPS said: “This was a tragic death of a child at the hands of his mother who was struggling to cope.
“Olga Freeman had loved and cared for Dylan for many years, but the strain and pressures of her son’s severe and complex special needs had built up and that combined with her impaired mental health led to heart-breaking consequences.”
Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb adjourned sentencing until next month when she will consider detaining Freeman in hospital for mental health treatment.
That woman is Satan in the flesh, she needs to get lethal injection, if she was in the United States that’s exactly what she would get
United States my ass it’s no different crazy’s are everywhere and get by with everything
Walk a mile in her shoes.
Until you have walked in this mother’s shoes with that child you should remain silent and offer prayers for the mother
That’s absolutely horrible!! The one that’s supposed to protect him n take care of him the he trusts over anyone else that is so heartbreaking!!! Awful awful story!! There’s no excuse for that nothing. Theres another one from down south Arkansas or sumthin she killed 5 of her kids burnt the hose down n killed herself all while the husband sent to work but she could scream at him in the phone beforehand n tell him he will have a corpse to come home to if she said that they know what they r doing!! This phycho mother laid him down with his toys so she knew to give him an area where he knew n was comfortable with and to do the most unspeakable crime to him how horrifying for these poor kids!!! Rot in hell you women who do this to their kids!!! There is a special place in Hell for these evil monsters!!!
The story is tragic but not rare. Mental Heath problems if not detected can take many turns. This story ended in the death of and innocent child.
Many times it leads to suicide , drug abuse or self mutilation among other things. I can’t blame the mother for not having the ability to solve her own Heath problem . That is by definition a mental illness.
I am dealing with a 93 yr old (in 3 days) Mother who is near and Dear to my heart. It is a burden beyond belief during COVID and the lockdowns. I AM sound of mind with two degrees behind me. I have a loving girlfriend who helps out beyond expectation as needed, and YET STILL I am so frustrated, over the continual care I must provide. I ask for nothing in return because she is my Mother. Those of you who have already or are ready to condemn this poor women who reached out for assistance, but was turned down, is clearly NOT to blame here. Instead of condemnation, kindly offer your prayers for lasting PEACE for the boy, for forgiveness and relief for the Mother and for the SYSTEM that failed them BOTH!
Until we really know what this Mother went through trying to take care of this child we cannot judge her. It is easy for us to say she is evil and to blame, but, who has had to care for a special needs child 24/7? it can, at times, be very daunting. I am not excusing her for her actions, but, trying to find a reason for it. We will probably never know. Sad, but, true, that this does happen a lot. Women, and men, throw their children away every day.
That poor poor mother, did she get help ?… No God bless you. How she must have felt.
To Marge n Sam you are two sad human beings!!! You think it’s ok for this woman to do this to her disabled child??? I would be ashamed of myself if I were you to even say anything to side with her!! Did that child have a voice at all!?? To hell with you if you make an excuse up for her or anybody like her!! I’m a single mother of 4 not a dime child support n no state help I busted my ass for my kids to give them a good life n I will be damned I sit here n see a comment like yours !!! So if life got rough or it got to tough on me oh cuz my mind couldn’t take it or I couldn’t get a break from my kids I can just off my kids??!!! That’s the most bullshit excuse I’ve ever heard of n yes I do take meds because i am a depressed mother but that’s the last thing I would do is hurt or kill my children oh so my head or my mind or my body feels better!!! So I’m a single mother of 4 a depressed mother on top of it n I take meds n I take my days one day at a time just like the next person!!! I will say there is no excuse on this earth for you to do something to your children there is foster care hell there’s a store there’s a laundry mat you don’t want your kids take them somewhere abandon them don’t kill them!!!! I’m so sick of these women coming up with these excuses why they kill their kids and so sick of listening to ppl make up excuses for these women!!! It’s not ok to have a child and murder it oh cuz moms not happy!!! No absolutely not!!! So Marge n Sam there’s no excuse idc how many times you walked in her shoes that’s not ok!! She called for ppl to help her why didn’t she call police n say im killing my kid there is a dad in the picture also!! This is a BS story n I have no sorrow for the mother but I sure know that that little boy is in Heaven with the Lord!! She will burn in Hell where she belongs!!
Super, you will get karma for that one day. It’s not for you to judge. Since you have said there is no excuse….the lord will show you…. good luck with that!
@SUPER
Well said,… she should have called the police and had him taken from her by whatever means…
Just because you are a mom doesn’t mean you are super human,I feel sorry for the child and the mom and I hope she gets some help now!
Prayer for the mother and dad. I haven’t been in their shoes and can’t imagine how they felt. I pray that the mother can live with what she has done.
Mother could call CPS a.k.a. Child Protective Services for help. They i.e. social worker & another CPS worker would come to her place & make a home/mother assessment. The child would be removed from that mother with emotional/psychiatric problems. He would be alive & safe.
We can’t begin to imagine the strain she was under. It’s easy to judge a person without knowing her mental health.
I feel her pain and I would never judge her. Walk in her shoes…….. yes absolutely there were other alternatives, maybe she didn’t want to burden other by abandoning him, who knows ? She was a very desperate women.
Here is a question not one person has asked… where was her successful photographer husband that traveled with and loved so dearly this child. He was well off by the sound of his travel and accomplishments. Where was Dad was Mom needed help ? It seems to me He could afford to pay a nanny to take care of the boy……….. anyone got an answer ? Two made him, two killed him.
If sh had such a prestigious husband , why wasn’t he paying for some additional care and support for his beloved son. Sounds like he could afford to pay for in house nursing care, or for a visiting aid .
For those that have these awful opinions should stop and think twice before saying anything. You don’t know what she had been going through with the COVID-19, shut down and everything else. Not right what she did only God can judge her not me or anybody. All we can do is pray for her and her son.
You guys probably don’t understand the psychological degradation she went through: Likely no sleep or little sleep. Wrestling with this kid in every shape and form all day and night. I know some of you aren’t going to like this, but if you factor in all of the costs and grief associated with taking care of such a severely mentally handicapped child, society might eventually come to the conclusion that it would be better to euthanized them. I mean, who is going to pay for this?
This bh needs to die a slow painful death, like she did her child.
I had to care for my son 24/7 who was mentally ill because he got an almost 90% body burn, third and fourth degree, 18 days after I got remarried. Plus, I had a daughter and 4 step kids who didn’t like me. 4 years later I had a nervous breakdown. Never had another one, but I understand the level of craziness, hurt and bad thoughts. But to murder my own child? That I fought to bring into this world healthy?? NEVER!!
Pray for her, already suffered all along in this life
Wake up marge, she a murderer! There should be no justice for the mother! Why didn’t she kill her self? She will someday face the God of all creation. I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes!
Do you believe that you are incapable of such an act?
I believe we all have the capacity in a given situation. I’m certain that this woman’s thoughts and actions were absolutely not rational but was she aware that they weren’t? Perhaps she was questioning her sanity and her ability to care for her child.
Maybe she was more fearful of what his future would be if she could not care for him.
We can’t know because we are not in her mind or situation.
The fact that she surrounded him with things that were most important to him was maybe her last act of love.
I believe that none of us is without sin and the day will come when we are facing our OWN Judgement. God bless this family, and those who stand in judgement of them.
You have absolutely no right to judge this lady.
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