Teenager accused of unlawful abortion admits it was ‘stupid’ to purchase drugs | EUROtoday

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A tearful dancer accused of illegally aborting her child informed a jury she regretted a “stupid” determination to buy drugs – however denied taking them to finish her being pregnant.

Sophie Harvey appeared emotional and gripping a scorching water bottle as she took to the witness stand on the third day of her trial at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday.

The 25-year-old is accused of procuring drugs to trigger an abortion after studying she was at 28 weeks and 5 days gestation – which means she couldn’t get a authorized abortion in England.

Abortions in England are authorized as much as 24 weeks gestation if carried out by a registered medical practitioner.

Harvey, then aged 19, mentioned she and boyfriend Elliot Benham then agreed to purchase abortion medicine, however that the pack arrived after she suffered a stillbirth at her household residence, she mentioned was on 9 September in 2018.

During cross-examination by prosecutor KC Mrs Anna Vigars, Harvey mentioned she had needed to maintain the infant after being knowledgeable the being pregnant had gone too far on 30 August.

Questioned why she had ordered the drugs, she mentioned: “It was 50 50, I was confused, I was still trying to get my thoughts together. She added: “It was stupid, and we shouldn’t have done it.”

Asked by Mrs Vigars if there was some other purpose to purchase the drugs than to abort the infant, Harvey mentioned: “Just so that I had an option.” Mrs Vigars pushed: “The option was illegal abortion, wasn’t it?” Harvey replied: “I don’t know.”

Earlier, when requested by her defence lawyer, Mr Thomas Godfrey, if she had dealt with the medicine, which have been picked up by Benham from a Royal Mail assortment workplace on 22 September, Harvey mentioned she took one capsule out of a packet.

“I was thinking about taking one in case it was incomplete [the stillbirth],” she mentioned. “I threw it in the bin.”

The jury heard how Harvey, who studied dance BTEC at New College in Swindon, had contacted her GP for a referral for an abortion after receiving a constructive being pregnant take a look at.

Believing she was 4 months pregnant, she went for the appointment at British Pregnancy Advisory Service the place an ultrasound scan discovered she was previous the authorized 24-week restrict for an abortion.

When requested by Mr Godfrey how she felt, Harvey informed the jury: “I was shocked.

“It just wasn’t what I thought was going to happen so I was surprised, I thought the appointment [to have a termination] would just go ahead.”

The jury heard how within the days that adopted, Harvey visited abortion-related web sites and emailed one enquiring about delivery and supply choices, Asked why, she mentioned: “I am not sure, I was just confused.”

The couple then ordered the medicine on 7 September.

Mr Godfrey requested if she knew taking drugs to induce an abortion could be unlawful, she replied: “Yes.”

Harvey, of St Mary’s Road in Cirencester, denies procuring poison with intent to obtain a miscarriage and denies administering poison with intent to obtain a miscarriage.

Harvey and Benham, of Wingfield in Swindon, Wiltshire, each deny endeavor an act desiring to pervert the course of justice by disposing of a kid.

Both defendants have admitted a chare of concealing the delivery of a child.

The trial continues.