A former Territorial Army corporal has been convicted of beating his girlfriend's toddler son to death, with the court hearing he texted her 'slap him back to sleep lol' after she complained the two-year-old was 'whinging'. Scott O'Connor, 36, was found guilty of manslaughter at Southwark Crown Court, while the boy's mother, Zoe Coutts, 35, was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child.
Kol Page suffered months of abuse at the hands of O'Connor, who pulled out his hair and left him with black eyes and a bald patch. The couple exchanged pictures of his injuries and joked about hurting him, with one text from O'Connor reading: 'It's the whining that drives me insane haha'. Coutts cancelled planned social worker visits at times when photos showed Kol had significant bruising.
The abuse culminated in April 2022 when Kol was rushed to hospital with serious internal injuries consistent with punching, kicking or stamping. He suffered catastrophic brain damage and severe disabilities, requiring round-the-clock care. After 14 months in hospital, he moved to a foster family, but died from his injuries on 29 June 2024, aged four.
Both O'Connor and Coutts denied murder and were cleared of that charge. The jury deliberated for 10 hours and 45 minutes before reaching their verdicts. Mr Justice Johnson will sentence them in May. Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn said: 'Kol was an innocent little boy who suffered horrific abuse in the place where he should have been safest - at home with his mother.'
The court heard that on the morning of 20 April 2022, Coutts messaged O'Connor about Kol 'whinging', and he replied: 'Jesus slap him back to sleep lol'. On 25 April, Kol was found unwell and later taken to hospital, where surgeons found three injuries to his small bowel, caused by significant force to the abdomen. The couple had concocted a 'tissue of lies' to explain his injuries, blaming his clumsiness.
