Man convicted of killing his unborn baby by kicking heavily pregnant ex-girlfriend

A young man is facing life behind bars after he was convicted of killing his unborn baby by kicking and stamping on his heavily pregnant ex-girlfriend after she refused to have an abortion.
Teaching assistant Kevin Wilson, 22, and a 17-year-old boy were found guilty at the Old Bailey of child destruction and causing grievous bodily harm to Malorie Bantala on June 15 this year.
Earlier that day, the eight months pregnant Marks & Spencer worker had been buying decorations for her baby shower, returning home to Peckham in south east London at around 8pm.

As she approached, Wilson and his accomplice emerged from bushes outside her flat where 
they had lain in wait disguised in crash helmets.
They launched a vicious attack, targeting Miss Bantala's bump as she lay curled up on the ground, desperately trying to protect her unborn child with one hand.

Miss Bantala, 22, told jurors:

I remember looking at him and then something clicked in my mind and I said 'Oh s***, it's Kevin'. He turned round and we made brief eye contact.
I didn't have time to think anything because by the time I knew it, I was on the floor.

Kevin proceeded to kick my stomach, probably three or four times and then he stamped on my stomach twice.

By then I had screamed 'Kevin' for him to stop but he continued to kick my stomach. They were harsh kicks.

– Malorie Bantala

As the verdicts were returned by the jury of nine women and three men, Miss Bantala became tearful and ran from the court in tears.

The attackers were caught on CCTV fleeing on a scooter, running a red light in a hurry to get 
back to the estate where Wilson lived, a mile and a half away in Bermondsey.
Family and neighbours ran to Miss Bantala's aid but the baby boy was already dead.
Miss Bantala immediately told police her child's father's was responsible, saying:

He doesn't want the baby.

– Malorie Bantala

She was driven by police to Kings College Hospital where she was treated for life-threatening internal bleeding.

As well as losing six litres of blood, she had broken two fingers in the hand she had used to 
try to shield her child.

In a victim impact statement, Miss Bantala told how she hated being referred to as the victim when the "real victim" was her beloved son Joel.

As the verdicts were returned by the jury of nine women and three men, Miss Bantala became tearful and ran from the court in tears.

The attackers were caught on CCTV fleeing on a scooter, running a red light in a hurry to get back to the estate where Wilson lived, a mile and a half away in Bermondsey.

Family and neighbours ran to Miss Bantala's aid but the baby boy was already dead.
Miss Bantala immediately told police her child's father's was responsible, saying:

He doesn't want the baby.

– Malorie Bantala

She was driven by police to Kings College Hospital where she was treated for life-threatening internal bleeding.

As well as losing six litres of blood, she had broken two fingers in the hand she had used to try to shield her child.

In a victim impact statement, Miss Bantala told how she hated being referred to as the victim when the "real victim" was her beloved son Joel.

Joel never got to meet me properly, never know how much I love him. I will never get to see him smile, watch him get his first tooth or to take his first steps. I will never get to watch him at university or see him graduate.

I will never get to be the mother of the groom. I love my son so much words cannot describe it. The moment Joel was taken from me I lost everything 

– Victim impact statement

The incomprehensibly evil actions of these two defendants have cruelly snatched away the life of an unborn baby boy who was just weeks away from being brought into the world. I would like to thank the victim for her courage in giving evidence against her attackers in this heart-breaking case.

– Malcolm McHaffie, CPS London Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor