Archie Spriggs murder trial: Mother 'tried to revive son after finding him hanged'
A Shropshirew mother accused of the murder of her seven-year-old son told detectives that she tried to revive him when she found him hanged in his bedroom and then tried to kill herself, a jury heard.
Archie Spriggs was found lying dead in his bed at the family’s home, in Rushbury Road, near Wall under Heywood.
Lesley Speed is accused of strangling and smothering him hours before her partner, Darren Jones, arrived home from work and discovered her with cuts to her neck, arm and wrist.
She is on trial at Birmingham Crown Court for allegedly murdering her son at the property near Church Stretton in September last year.
Speed wept as details of her police interview following her arrest was read to the court yesterday by Simon Price, prosecuting.
The 44-year-old told detectives she walked into Archie’s room and found him hanged. She said she untied him before pulling him on to the top bunk to where she had climbed up.
Speed said: “I was doing everything at once. I was trying to press his chest, blowing into his mouth. I wasn’t in a good position to help. I realise that now, but I was frantic.”
She told the officers that she stayed in the bed with him and may have “nodded off”.
“I know that I jolted because I felt how cold he was,” she said.
The case so far:
She then stated that she placed a number of letters previously written to members of the family and to Archie’s father Matthew Spriggs on a bed. She told the officers that she could not remember when she wrote them.
Among them was a note that stated “I’m truly sorry forgive me”.
The jury also heard that a note in Archie’s handwriting saying “Mum I love you but I’m scared of Dad” was found in his bedroom.
Speed and Archie's father, Matthew Spriggs, were due to attend family court on September 21, the day of the incident, but she failed to turn up.
It is alleged that she killed Archie because she was worried his father would get custody.
Speed denies murder.
The trial continues.
