Mother denies murder of severely autistic son

A mother killed her severely autistic son by strangling him with a belt, a court heard today.

Yvonne Freaney, 49, admits manslaughter but denies murdering her 11-year-old son Glen at a hotel near Cardiff Airport, South Wales.

Glen’s body was found in a room at the Sky Plaza Hotel in May last year.

Freaney, from Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, was taken to hospital with cuts to her arms and legs.

Opening the case for the prosecution at Cardiff Crown Court, Gregg Taylor QC said: “This is going to be a difficult case. The charge against Mrs Freaney is that she killed her 11-year-old son, Glen Freaney.

“He was a very young boy who suffered from very severe autism. Some time between the 12th and 16th May she killed Glen by strangling him with a coat belt. When she was sure he was dead she laid down beside him and tried to commit suicide by slitting her wrists.”

Mrs Freaney, wearing a black suit with her long grey hair resting on her shoulders, hung her head, staring at the floor as the case against her was outlined.

Mr Taylor added: “The defence case will be that at the time Mrs Freaney was suffering such abnormality of mind as to substantially diminish her responsibility for the offence – this is commonly referred to as diminished responsibility.

“However, it is our contention this is a straightforward case of murder and that is the correct verdict.

“So far as we’re concerned, what Mrs Freaney did in May last year was part of a prolonged and serious bid to kill herself.”

The court heard Mrs Freaney had suffered from a long history of domestic abuse and self-harm, and lived in “dirty and cluttered” conditions.

She left her husband in March 2010, taking Glen with her and stayed in a series of hotels in the following weeks.

During the months leading up to Glen’s death the prosecution described a “build-up of pressure” on Mrs Freaney after her marriage came to an end and she was unable to find anywhere for herself and Glen to live.