Kelsey Parker, the widow of The Wanted's Tom Parker, has criticised the Metropolitan Police for their handling of her stillbirth, saying she was made to feel like a criminal. She appeared on ITV's Good Morning Britain on Wednesday to discuss the traumatic experience.
Parker gave birth to her son, Phoenix, at home at 39 weeks with her new partner Will. The labour lasted only minutes, and the midwife did not arrive in time. She called an ambulance, which took nine minutes to arrive. Paramedics then called the police, who declared her home a 'crime scene'.
Parker described the ordeal as feeling like a film, adding that she was taken to hospital and made to wait in a maternity unit surrounded by mothers and newborns. She said it has taken her a year to process the events, and she is 'upset and angry' about how she was treated.
She credited her late husband, Tom Parker, who died in 2022 from a brain tumour, for giving her the confidence to advocate for herself. She said her experience of speaking to brain surgeons during his illness meant she was not afraid to use her voice.
The Metropolitan Police have since apologised, acknowledging that referring to the address as a crime scene was inappropriate. A detective inspector has offered to meet with the family alongside a child bereavement nurse.
