Accused mother lived in ‘nightmare’

A MOTHER who strangled her severely autistic son was living in a “nightmare” caring for him and her three other disabled children, a court heard yesterday.

Yvonne Freaney, 49, had to cope with 11-year-old Glen as well as his older siblings who suffered from ADHD, dyspraxia and Asperger’s syndrome respectively.

The mother-of-four is accused of killing Glen at a hotel near Cardiff Airport, Wales, because no one else would look after him.

She admits manslaughter but denies murdering Glen, whose body was found in a room at the Sky Plaza Hotel in May last year.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that Glen required round-the-clock care and could not be left alone, as he had a tendency to run into roads and was attracted to traffic and fire engines.

With her husband Richard, a former RAF officer, working away from home, Freaney was the sole carer for Glen and his siblings.

In court, Freaney’s other children were referred to as Child One, now aged 22, Child Two, aged 20, and Child Three, who is 15.

John Charles Rees QC, defending, explained that despite their disabilities Freaney’s eldest child was at university studying law and the other children were doing well.

Referring to Freaney’s 15-year-old, who is studying for his GCSEs, Mr Rees said: “He is achieving his full potential and that is a testament to the care, love and support that Mrs Freaney has given him during his life.”

The trial continues.