Laura Johnson has said her mother, Lisa Hayden-Johnson, should have spent longer in prison for faking her brother Matthew's illnesses. Hayden-Johnson was jailed in 2020 for child cruelty and perverting the course of justice after claiming her son suffered from multiple conditions, including diabetes, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis and an allergy to sunlight.
The case gained national attention after Hayden-Johnson was invited to No.10 Downing Street by then-PM Tony Blair and met Queen Camilla. Neighbours in Brixham, Devon, had doubted her claims after spotting Matthew playing football and eating ice cream, but felt unable to speak out.
Family speaks out in new documentary
Speaking in Channel 4's Love You To Death docuseries, Laura said: "My brother and I have dealt with things very differently. But I'm not sure either of us has got it right." She added that she was diagnosed with complex PTSD because of nightmares of her brother screaming when his feeding tube was changed.
Matthew told clinical psychologist Freda Gardner that he does not like to think about his childhood: "A lot of the time I ignored it. I didn't want to dig into it and things like my medical records… I have access to them, but to read them is not something I want to do in my free time." He added: "I've got memories of operations and being in hospital. I spent a lot of time in a wheelchair, but I don't ever remember struggling to walk."
Mother's own health history questioned
Laura said she believes her mother also falsified details of her own health as a dry run for the deception around Matthew. Hayden-Johnson told nursery staff Laura was prone to seizures: "I was on seizure medication until I was about six or seven. It's scary to think what else I don't remember taking."
Dr Steve Blair, an expert witness at the trial, said there was some evidence Hayden-Johnson had attempted to falsify Laura's medical history, but a decision was made not to pursue the investigation to keep the prosecution case clearer for the jury.
Sentencing and aftermath
Passing sentence, Judge Stephen Wildblood described Hayden-Johnson as "cruel, manipulative, perverse, disordered and pitiful," adding: "Your son will have to realise the fact that the one person who is supposed to care for and nourish him throughout his childhood was in fact causing him harm."
Hayden-Johnson now says she felt "safe in prison" and was not judged by fellow inmates. She maintains she did not hurt Matthew, saying: "How can I be Britain's most evil mother? I just did my best. That's all I did. I did my best for my family." The three-part series Love You to Death begins on Channel 4 at 9pm.
