Vicious coward kicked his unborn son to death in attack on mother who refused abortion

A TEACHING assistant kicked and stamped on the stomach of his pregnant ex-girlfriend after she refused his demands to have an abortion, a court has heard.

A artist's drawing of Kevin Wilson

The brutal assault by Kevin Wilson, 22, and a 17-year-old accomplice, killed his unborn son and left Malorie Bantala with life-threatening injuries, it was said.

Wilson and the teenager, wore crash helmets to carry out the "callous and cowardly attack" on heavily-pregnant 22-year-old as she walked home in June this year, jurors were told.

Yesterday, on the opening day of Wilson's trial for child destruction, the Old Bailey heard how Miss Bantala met her alleged attacker in 2011 when they enrolled at the same university.

Although their sexual relationship ended within a year the pair remained on friendly terms and slept together on two occasions over the next three years.

Kevin Wilson is accused of killing his unborn child and assaulting his ex-girlfriend

Their baby was conceived in November last year.

When the shop assistant from Peckham, south east London, told her ex-boyfriend she was pregnant he reacted badly saying he was not ready to be a father.

Wilson, from Bermondsey, south east London, later accused her of being "selfish" and made two attempts to get her to abort the baby.

It seemed to Miss Bantala that the males were deliberately aiming blows at her belly

Malorie Bantala

He then threatened to commit suicide or return to his native Ghana before spreading rumours that he was not the father and that she had been sleeping around, it was said.

Wilson hatched the plot to end his baby's life after Miss Bantala visited his mother and announced that her son had made her pregnant.

Prosecutors told the court that on the evening of June 15 this year, he, along with the teenager, set upon the mother-to-be in the street outside her home.

Jonathan Rees QC said: "It was a cowardly and callous attack, each male wearing a motorcycle helmet in an apparent effort to conceal his identity.

"It is the prosecution case that one of the attackers was the unborn baby's father - Kevin Wilson. He had made it clear that he didn't want the baby to be born and was not pleased when Miss Bantala informed others that he was the father."

On the day of the attack, Miss Bantala, who was due to give birth with four weeks, had been buying decorations for her baby shower.

As she arrived home at around 8pm, she heard "rustling in the bushes" and two men emerged.

Despite wearing the crash helmet and a scarf over his face, she recognised Wilson by his clothes and posture.

"Initially, although she was surprised to see him, she wasn't scared. However, within seconds she found herself on the floor and Kevin Wilson began to stamp on and kick at her belly.

"They were vicious blows. The second male attacked her from behind. It seemed to Miss Bantala that the males were deliberately aiming blows at her belly," Mr Rees said.

"She wondered when it was going to stop. If the purpose of this attack was to target the unborn baby, then it is difficult to see who else, other than Kevin Wilson, would have such a strong motive," he added.

The trial is being heard at the Old Bailey

Witnesses heard her shout "Kevin, I'm going to kill you, watch" before the pair fled on a Vespa scooter as family and neighbours came to her aid.

She told police at the scene that Wilson was responsible, saying: "He doesn't want the baby."

Miss Bantala was rushed to hospital but medics were unable to save the unborn boy's life.

The young woman needed a caesarean to remove the dead baby and emergency surgery to stop internal bleeding and fix broken bones in her hand.

Wilson and the 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, both deny GBH and child destruction.

The trial continues.