Woman who dumped her stillborn baby in household rubbish after he boyfriend sourced pills to induce an illegal abortion walks free from court
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A young woman who dumped her stillborn baby in the household rubbish after her boyfriend had sourced pills to induce an illegal abortion walked free from court yesterday. . A new count of conspiracy to secure a poison with the intention of procuring a miscarriage was put to both Harvey and Benham, which they admitted.
![[Prosecutors allege that after learning Harvey could not have a legal abortion, the defendants ordered a kit of five pills to end the pregnancy]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/18/21/84914083-14207465-Prosecutors_allege_that_after_learning_Harvey_could_not_have_a_l-a-5_1734555671012.jpg)
Harvey, who was 19 at the time she delivered the baby in the bathroom of her family home, went on trial earlier this year charged with illegally aborting her baby which was over 28 weeks' gestation. The jury was discharged due to legal reasons and at a court appearance today(Wed), prosecutors accepted the teenager did not illegally abort her baby.
![[Harvey has denied procuring a poison, procuring own miscarriage by poison and attempting to pervert the course of public justice, while Benham also denies attempting to pervert the course of public justice]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/18/21/84851087-14207465-Harvey_has_denied_procuring_a_poison_procuring_own_miscarriage_b-a-6_1734555673982.jpg)
Both defendants, who are now 25, had previously admitted concealing the birth of a child. Gloucester Crown Court heard that after giving birth, Harvey wrapped the stillborn baby in a towel and disposed of it in a bin. Sentencing the pair to 18-month community orders, Judge Ian Lawrie KC told Harvey: 'Whatever the reasons there was a still birth in your bathroom and a young life was sadly lost. There was a total absence of compassion and humanity.'.
![[Elliot Benham, (second left under umbrella) and Sophie Harvey, (second right under umbrella) previously appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court over the abortion]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/18/21/84851085-14207465-Elliot_Benham_second_left_under_umbrella_and_Sophie_Harvey_secon-a-8_1734555691447.jpg)
The judge added: 'I hope you can both put it all behind you and get on with rest of your lives.'. Sophie Harvey, 25, and her partner Elliot Benham, also 25, are on trial at Gloucester Crown Court. Prosecutors allege that after learning Harvey could not have a legal abortion, the defendants ordered a kit of five pills to end the pregnancy.
![[Police search a potential crime scene in Kingsdown, Swindon, related to the alleged illegal termination]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/18/21/84851769-14207465-Police_search_a_potential_crime_scene_in_Kingsdown_Swindon_relat-a-9_1734555701330.jpg)
