A mother and her new boyfriend have been sentenced to a total of 27 years in prison following the death of her young son after months of horrific abuse. Zoe Coutts and Scott O'Connor blamed toddler Kol Page's injuries on his clumsiness before turning on each other in a final effort to avoid justice. Sick text messages were revealed in court, including one from O'Connor saying: Jesus slap him back to sleep lol.
Sentencing and Convictions
O'Connor, 36, was found guilty of the manslaughter of Kol, and his mother Coutts, 35, was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child at Southwark Crown Court in March. They were cleared of murdering Kol, who died aged four on June 29, 2024, from injuries inflicted at his home in Bromley in April 2022. On Tuesday, Coutts was sentenced to nine years and 109 days in jail, while O'Connor received an 18-year custodial sentence with a five-year extended sentence.
The Injuries and Aftermath
Kol, then aged two, was found not breathing by the London Ambulance Service on April 25, with bruises on his face and a serious abdominal injury caused by a stamp or punch. He survived but suffered severe pain that doctors could not fully alleviate without risking his death. He lived for two more years before dying at the age of four years and three months.
During the trial, jurors were shown text messages between the couple, including an exchange on the morning of April 20, 2022. Coutts had messaged O'Connor to say Kol was whinging, and O'Connor replied: Jesus slap him back to sleep lol. On the evening of April 24, the pair went to bed with Kol in a cot beside them. The next morning, Coutts described Kol as wriggly and chesty, suggesting phlegm caused him to be sick. Emergency services were called, and Kol was taken to hospital for surgery, where three injuries to the small bowel were found. The prosecution alleged these were caused by significant force to the abdomen.
Defence and Blame
Coutts claimed Kol was an active child who bruised easily from running and climbing. O'Connor said Kol was clumsy and always hurting himself. In court, Coutts denied ever hurting her son and tearfully said she would never hit him. She later blamed O'Connor, saying the evidence pointed to him. She also claimed O'Connor told her Kol had sustained two black eyes from falling out of his cot.
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. Coutts and O'Connor tried to deceive paramedics, doctors, and police with lies about how Kol was injured. Detectives uncovered the truth through months of messages, appalling pictures, and CCTV evidence. Blackburn thanked first responders, doctors, nurses, and foster carers who cared for Kol, describing him as boisterous, cheeky, and endlessly loving. He should have had a bright future but was let down by those who should have protected him most.
