Teaching assistant faces life over attack that killed his unborn child

A young man is facing life behind bars after he was convicted of killing his unborn baby by kicking and stamping on his heavily pregnant ex-girlfriend after she refused to have an abortion.

Teaching assistant Kevin Wilson, 22, and a 17-year-old boy were found guilty at the Old Bailey of child destruction and causing grievous bodily harm to Malorie Bantala on June 15 this year.

Earlier that day, the eight months pregnant Marks & Spencer worker had been buying decorations for her baby shower, returning home to Peckham in south east London at around 8pm.

As she approached, Wilson and his accomplice emerged from bushes outside her flat where they had lain in wait disguised in crash helmets.

They launched a vicious attack, targeting Miss Bantala's bump as she lay curled up on the ground, desperately trying to protect her unborn child with one hand.

Miss Bantala, 22, told jurors: "I remember looking at him and then something clicked in my mind and I said 'Oh s***, it's Kevin'. He turned round and we made brief eye contact.

"I didn't have time to think anything because by the time I knew it, I was on the floor.

"Kevin proceeded to kick my stomach, probably three or four times and then he stamped on my stomach twice.

"By then I had screamed 'Kevin' for him to stop but he continued to kick my stomach. They were harsh kicks."

Afterwards, she said Wilson had glanced back as she shouted out to him: "Kevin, I'm going to kill you, watch!"

As the verdicts were returned by the jury of nine women and three men, Miss Bantala became tearful.

She jumped from the well of the court and screamed at Wilson: "I'm going kill you. You don't understand. I hate you. Drop dead."

She then ran from the court in tears.