A former Bermondsey teaching assistant who stamped on his heavily pregnant ex-girlfriend stomach and killed their unborn baby has lost his appeal against a life sentence.
Kevin Wilson, 23, from the Longfield Estate, was sentenced to a minimum of sixteen years at the Old Bailey in February for child destruction and causing grievous bodily harm to Malorie Bantala.
Before his conviction in December the court heard how Wilson took matters into his own hands after Miss Bantala refused to have an abortion.
Wilson carried out the brutal attack with a seventeen-year-old accomplice who had learning difficulties. Together they ambushed Miss Bantala wearing motorbike helmets as she left the Peckham Marks and Spencer, where she had been planning a baby shower.
The attack resulted in their healthy 32-week-old boy being stillborn, and Miss Bantala needing life-saving surgery.
At the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, three judges said the life sentence was justified, but reduced the length of the minimum term to fourteen years less time on remand.
Mr Justice Spencer said it was an “unspeakably wicked act”.
“Here was a young man who was prepared to take the steps he did in a calculated and cold-blooded way to achieve his objective, because there was an obstacle in his way,” Judge Spencer said.
Judge Mark Lucraft called it “a cowardly, vile, callous attack”.
The court heard how Miss Bantala curled up on the ground, desperately trying to protect her unborn child with one hand as Wilson and his accomplice stamped on her.
Miss Bantala lost six pints of blood and broke two fingers, and immediately told police her child’s father was responsible, saying: “He doesn’t want the baby.”
She described her innocent son, Joel, as the “real victim” and said “the moment Joel died inside me I lost everything. Life as I knew it no longer made sense”.