Kol Page died in June 2024 from injuries sustained in April 2022, when he was four years old. Prosecutors described the injuries as catastrophic, comparable to those from a serious road traffic accident or a fall from a height onto a hard object. The child had been subjected to escalating violence while in the care of Coutts and O'Connor, and was found not breathing by paramedics on 25 April 2022 with bruises over his face and a serious abdominal injury.
A Metropolitan Police investigation determined the abdominal injury was caused by a stamp or punch. Doctors were unable to administer enough medication to relieve Kol's pain without risking his death. The couple were convicted on 25 March at Southwark Crown Court after a four-week trial.
O'Connor, of Whinchat Road, Thamesmead, was convicted of manslaughter, while Coutts, of Crayford, was convicted of allowing the death of a child. They were cleared of murder. O'Connor was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment with a five-year extended licence period, and Coutts to 10 years in prison.
The sentencing took place on Friday, though reports conflict on whether it was 8 May or 9 May. Met homicide detectives analyzed thousands of messages, CCTV footage, and conducted interviews to prove the injuries occurred while Kol was in the couple's care. Coutts and O'Connor initially blamed Kol's injuries on his clumsiness and later turned on each other.
Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn said the pair tried to deceive paramedics, doctors, and police with repeated lies about how Kol was injured. Detectives exposed the lies by combing through messages, pictures, and CCTV evidence. In the early hours of 24 April 2022, Coutts and O'Connor returned home after a night out drinking.
The following morning, police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 09:44 to Downham Way, Bromley, to reports of a child not breathing. Paramedics found Kol without a pulse and with significant bruising to his head and face. O'Connor was the ex-boyfriend of Coutts.
Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn said Kol suffered horrific abuse at home with his mother. The exact cause of Kol's death has not been disclosed, and it remains unclear what specific evidence proved decisive in the convictions. It is also unknown whether social services had any prior involvement with the family.