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Wednesday, 2 March, 2005, 13:24 GMT

Father 'found kneeling over body'

Jacob Wragg The wife of a man accused of murdering their terminally-ill son has told Lewes Crown Court she found him kneeling over the 10-year-old's body.

Mary Wragg was visiting her mother's house when Andrew Wragg phoned her to say he had killed Jacob, who had the degenerative disease Hunter Syndrome.

Mrs Wragg, 41, said he had threatened to take Jacob's life earlier that day.

Andrew Wragg, 37, of Worthing, admits manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility, but denies murder.

Mrs Wragg said she did not take an earlier threat to kill Jacob seriously because she had "heard him say similar things before".

Telephone call

Later that day, she agreed to take their other son to stay with her mother so the couple could spend some time together.

But she said her husband phoned her while she was on her way to her mother's and said he had taken Jacob's life.

"He said something like 'I have just killed Jacob'. He said he was going to call the police. I did not believe it," she said.

"I did not want to alarm George so I tried not to say anything. Andy hung up the phone but called back seconds later.

Mary Wragg arriving at court

"He was just crying."

She said she returned to find her husband in Jacob's room, kneeling over his body in the dark.

"I just said 'oh my God, what have you done?' I just knew he was dead.

"I just kissed Jacob. I felt his hair and I held his hand."

The court heard Mr Wragg toasted Jacob's death saying he was with the couple's aborted child, who had to be terminated at seven months because he was also carrying Hunter Syndrome.

"I poured some wine for myself to steady myself," she said.

She said she asked Mr Wragg if he had hurt Jacob, and her husband said he had not.

She denied a claim by the prosecution that she "left the house so he could do it" and said she did not believe her husband would harm Jacob.

'No resuscitation plea'

When police arrived officers told her to "get away" from Jacob so they could resuscitate him, Mrs Wragg said.

But she said they had decided if Jacob's heart or breathing stopped he would not be resuscitated because Jacob was scared of having anything over his face.

"I just kept saying 'please don't resuscitate him, please find his medical notes'," she said.

Jurors heard that she was hysterical by that time and was arrested.

The case continues.




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Related to this story:
Father 'spoke of suffocating son' (01 Mar 05 |  Southern Counties )
Son's death was 'mercy killing' (28 Feb 05 |  Southern Counties )
Father charged with son's murder (27 Jul 04 |  England )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
Hunter Disease
Sussex Police
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