Jury retires in pond murder case

Ms Loughran denies murdering her son Thomas

The jury in the trial of a mother accused of drowning her two-year-old son more than 10 years ago, has been sent home for the night.

Nottingham Crown Court heard how Sallie-Anne Loughran, 40, allegedly confessed to murdering Thomas Hunt, who was found in a pond in April 1991.

She later said the boy died after falling into the water at their home in Sutton Bonington, Nottinghamshire.

A coroner at the time ruled that the boy's death was accidental.

'Climbed on a chair'

Peter Joyce QC, prosecuting, said that the woman had been "unnaturally calm" after the child's death and that scientific evidence revealed her son could not have died in the pond.

"The prosecution case is that he was put in the pond by the defendant after she had drowned him, probably in the house, in the bathroom," Mr Joyce told jurors.

Later still, she said 'You'll never prove it' or said 'You can't prove it' Peter Joyce, QC

"At the time, Thomas's death was treated by the police, by everyone, as being an awful accident and not treated as a suspicious death.

"Somewhat sadly there was no full scale police investigation into his death."

The court was told that Ms Loughran, who denies the murder charge, made admissions about her son's death when challenged by the boy's grandfather Peter Hunt.

"She began to get annoyed and said he was dead before he went into the pond. Sometime later Mr Hunt said to her 'I know you killed him'," said Mr Joyce.

"Later still, she said 'You'll never prove it' or said 'You can't prove it'.

Mr Joyce told the court that Ms Loughran had struggled to cope with the boisterous child and had resented the relationship that developed between the boy and his father, Paul Hunt.

Jurors have also heard that a day after the funeral, Mr Hunt senior saw the mother tearing up flowers and condolence cards left at her son's grave.

Ms Loughran, of Ibstock, Leicestershire, claims Thomas died after he climbed on a chair and unlocked the back door of their home, walking 150 metres to the pond before falling into the water.

Defence witness Dr Nathaniel Carey, who advised police in the prosecution of Ian Huntley, told jurors there was no evidence to suggest Thomas had not been the victim of an accident.