Location: UK – Page 3 – Disability Day of Mourning

Dylan Freeman

Name: Dylan Freeman.
Died: August 16, 2020.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Acton, west London, England, UK.
Disability: Cohen syndrome, autism.

Details:
Dylan’s mother admitted to drugging him, then suffocating him.

Dylan’s father says, “Dylan was a beautiful, bright, inquisitive and artistic child who loved to travel, visit art galleries and swim.” He often took his son on vacation overseas.

Case status:
Olga Freeman (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility; detained indefinitely at a psychiatric hospital.

Source:
UK woman who killed disabled son detained in hospital indefinitely
Mum who suffocated disabled son during lockdown given hospital order
Wife of celeb photographer who suffocated disabled son, 10, given hospital order
Mother is given indefinite hospital order after she suffocated son
Mum who suffocated disabled son, 10, in lockdown given indefinite hospital order
Lockdown Contributed to Death of Disabled Boy: UK Judge
Mother admits killing disabled son, 10, while struggling to care for him in lockdown
Celebrity photographer’s autistic son was ‘suffocated with a sponge’
Celebrity photographer’s autistic son, 10, suffocated with sponge as mother ‘struggled’ to take care of him
Celeb photographer’s ex gave autistic son, 10, sleeping drug before ‘putting sponge in his mouth and tying it’
Woman in her 40s is arrested for murder after boy, 10, was found dead at house in west London
Celebrity photographer’s ex-wife charged with murder of 10yo son in London
Mother charged with murdering her autistic son, 10, is pictured arriving at court
Celeb snapper ‘can’t comprehend’ loss of son, 10, as mum charged with murder
Mum charged with murdering son, 10, she shared with celebrity photographer

Photo of a pale-skinned toddler girl with pale-blond hair in two ribbons. She is smiling, and wearing a pink coat. Name: Lola James.
Died: July 21, 2020.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK.
Disability: ADHD (Suspected).

Details:
Lola’s mother’s boyfriend suspected her of having ADHD and called her “a crazy kid”. She died from a head injury after being severely beaten.

Case Status:
Kyle Bevan (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 28 years to life.
Sinead James (Mother), convicted of causing or allowing death, sentenced to 6 years.

Sources:
Lola James murder: The timeline that led to the death of a two-year-old
Lola James: Mum and her boyfriend jailed over girl’s brutal murder

Pauline Brown

Name: Pauline Brown.
Died: July 8, 2020.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Monk Bretton, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Pauline’s husband strangled her, then killed himself. Police say that he had told family members that there was “only one cure–murder and suicide.”

Case Status:
Malcolm Brown (Husband), deceased.

Sources:
Retired barber, 74, took his own life after suffocating wife, 73, to death because she was suffering hallucinations due to dementia, inquest hears
Barnsley dementia patient killed before husband took own life

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes

Name: Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.
Died: June 16, 2020.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Traumatic brain injury.
Location: Solihull, West Midlands, England, UK.
Disability: Father told neighbors he was autistic or had ADHD.

Details:
Arthur died of a brain injury received while he was at home with his stepmother. His father and stepmother were arrested and charged with murder. Prosecutors say that Arthur was subjected to constant abuse; he was being denied food, made to sleep on the floor, exiled to the apartment hallway, and beaten. Two weeks before his death, a neighbor reports, Arthur’s father came to them and said that if the neighbors heard Arthur saying, “Please don’t kill me,” they should ignore him because Arthur “[had] issues; he suffers from ADHD or autism.”

Case Status:
Emma Tustin (Stepmother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 26 years to life in prison.
Thomas Hughes (Father), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 21 years.

Sources:
Murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes
Autism Memorial: Arthur Labinjo-Hughes
Dad accused of killing son told neighbour to ignore ‘please don’t kill me’ cries
Boy, 6, ‘murdered’ by parents cried ‘no one loves me’ as he begged for mercy
Family sent photos of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes’ injuries to police, court told
What happened to Arthur Labinjo-Hughes?
Sentencing Remarks

Louise Smith

Name: Louise Smith.
Died: May 8, 2020.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Havant, Hampshire, England, UK.
Disability: Mental illness.

Details:
Louise’s uncle killed her by punching her in the face repeatedly until she died. Police described the murder as “sexually motivated.”

Case status:
Shane Mays (Uncle), convicted of murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
‘A monster’: Uncle jailed for life over 16-year-old’s ‘sexually motivated’ murder
Louise Smith murder: Social workers probed after uncle found guilty
Uncle jailed for life for ‘sexual murder’ of Louise Smith, 16, in woods

Ruth Brown

Name: Ruth Brown.
Died: April 11, 2020.
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Bludgeoned.
Location: Bognor, England, UK.
Disability: COPD, chronic back pain.

Details:
Ruth died after being bludgeoned with a plastic tray. Her partner sent a text message to his brother reading, in part, “…I’ve killed Ruth,” and told police that he didn’t remember killing her because he had been drunk, but that he must have killed her, because “nobody else could have done it.”

Ruth was “the centre of [her] family”, an outgoing woman who could talk on the phone for hours. She volunteered for MIND and other mental health charities. Her family is raising money for a memorial plaque.

Case Status:
Wayne Morris (Partner), convicted of murder, sentenced to 17 years to life.

Source:
Man given life imprisonment for murder of Ruth Brown in Bognor
‘S***, what have I done, I panicked’ claims man accused over lockdown murder
‘Man bludgeoned partner to death with plastic tray after lockdown row’
Man accused claims he ‘panicked’ when he found partner’s body
Scots woman ‘killed by partner’ as he ‘couldn’t storm out house’ due to lockdown
Memorial plaque fundraiser launched for much-loved mother killed in Bognor Regis
Memorial garden for my mum, organized by Lauren Brown

Cherith Van Der Ploeg

No Photo
Name: Cherith Van Der Ploeg.
Died: February 15, 2020.
Age at death: 60.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Costessey, Norwich, England, UK.
Disability: Terminal lung cancer.

Details:
Cherith was dying of cancer when her ex-husband smothered her to death. His actions, Cherith’s daughter told the court, had robbed her of precious time with her mother; instead of grieving normally after her mother’s natural death on hospice care, she had to come to terms with her mother’s death while giving evidence to police about her murder.

Cherith was an introverted, family-oriented woman who always waved and greeted her neighbors when she saw them.

Case status:
Cornelius Van Der Ploeg (Ex-husband), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to six years to life.

Source:
It was not his decision to make – children devastated by murder of mum
Tributes paid to Cherith Van Der Ploeg who was found dead at Costessey home
Jailed: Telford father killed terminally ill ex-wife

David Allsopp

No Photo Name: David Allsopp.
Died: February 15, 2020.
Age at death: 67.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Derby, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
David was exploited by a woman who moved in with him as his caregiver. She beat him on a regular basis and told his friends and family that the bruises were from falls. The beatings eventually killed him.

David leaves behind a twin sister.

Case status:
Magdalena Kissova (Caregiver, roommate), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 24 years.

Source:
Face of killer carer who savagely beat Derby man to death
‘Carer’ exploited and murdered vulnerable Derby man
Evil woman battered dementia OAP she was paid to care for to death

Jessica Dalgeish

Name: Jessica Dalgeish.
Died: December 24, 2019.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Skull fracture and brain injury.
Location: Sandgate, Kent, England, UK.
Disability: Global developmental delay, possible autism.

Details:
When Jessica refused to eat her lunch, her mother’s boyfriend became angry and threw her onto her bed. Her head hit a hard surface, causing a skull fracture, and she died from head injuries several days later. An autopsy found an old, healed head injury as well.

Case Status:
Paul Marsh (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of manslaughter and child cruelty, sentenced to 6-11 years.

Sources:
Man battered disabled girl, three, to death after she refused to eat sandwich
Hythe careworker killed girlfriend’s disabled daughter after she refused lunch
Man killed girl, 3, in ‘fit of temper’
Disabled girl, 3, ‘killed by mum’s boyfriend after she refused to eat lunch’
Careworker accused of killing step-daughter, 3, told police ‘this will ruin me’
Autism Memorial: Jessica Dalgeish

Angela Tarver

Name: Angela Tarver.
Died: December 19, 2019.
Age at death: 86.
Cause of death: Stabbed in the heart.
Location: Woking, Surrey, England, UK.
Disability: Stroke; limited speech and mobility.

Details:
Angela’s son killed her by stabbing her through the heart with an ornamental sword.

Her husband remembers how she always found ways to carry on with her interests and activities as her disability advanced. He calls her “the light of my life”.

Case status:
Philip Tarver, convicted of murder, sentenced to 19 years to life.

Source:
Husband’s heartbreaking tribute to wife ‘cruelly’ murdered by son
‘Scrounger’ son who decapitated disabled mom, 86, with sword and dumped her head in freezer jailed for life