'A serious... and evil act'

TRAGIC . . . Jayne Pearce

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TWO young women responsible for framing a single mum for allegedly trying to smother a baby, have each been jailed for 10 months, for what a judge described as a "serious ­- and evil" act.

Tragic Jayne Pearce spent three months behind bars protesting her innocence as police mounted an attempted murder investigation. When she was finally released after one of the pair came clean, Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court heard that she was a changed woman.

Ms Pearce (23), died just two days before she had been due to give evidence against her accusers, although unknown to her, they had by then admitted what they had done.

She was found by police after overdosing on alcohol, anti-depressants and cocaine at her flat on Eldon Street, Oldham, on July 10, last year.

Leonie Hampton-Ogden (24), and Shauna Stanway (21), were told by Judge Angela Nield: "Your sentence could easily have been measured in terms of years. The dramatic impact of what you did was brought into stark relief by the death of your victim."

The judge also warned of the dangers of misuse of social media, because of the "extraordinarily tragic and unusual circumstances of the case".

The court had heard how Hampson-Ogden had posted on Facebook what appeared to be a confession by Ms Pearce, to attempting to smother a child.

The post stated: "I think I need sectioning. I can't believe I tried to smother a baby" was then brought to the attention of the police.

In fact Ms Pearce had earlier innocently logged on to the social media site using Hampson-Ogden's mobile phone, but had not logged out again before it was handed back.

The judge said: "That posting was known by both defendants to be wholly false. Whatever their belief, they both knew without question that Jayne Pearce had made no such confession to anything.

"Social media has a great deal to answer for," adding that it could easily be turned into "a tool of evil."

The judge said perhaps inevitably, public wrath that had initially been vented on the innocent Ms Pearce, had been turned on her accusers.

They too had become victims, receiving threats on social media and in the street. Stanway had also had every window in her house smashed.

Judge Nield told both women: "You could have put an end to this in days. It could have been stopped before Ms Pearce had to endure four interviews with the police, and even before she got to the doors of the magistrates' court.

"You did not do so because both of you preferred to protect your own positions."

She said Stanway's opinion that Ms Pearce had tried to harm the child ­- accepted without question by Hampton-Ogden ­- had been "a huge leap of imagination" and she had been guilty of nothing.

A verdict of misadventure was recorded after an inquest last month into Ms Pearce's death but coroner Lisa Hasmere said though the stress of what she had been through could have driven her to drink and drug abuse she felt Jayne's strength of character ruled out suicide as a possibility.

Both Hampton-Ogden, of Ducie Street, Oldham, and Stanway, of Leamington Street, Oldham, pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to pervert the course of public justice.

Steven Wild, prosecuting, said the tragic events had begun in late January, 2015, when Ms Pearce and Stanway had been at Hampton-Ogden's home for a social evening.

Hampton-Ogden's baby had been put to bed upstairs, and at some point Ms Pearce went upstairs to use the toilet.

He said she was heard on a child monitor, speaking to the baby before coming back downstairs.

Police were later told that she had told Stanway they had to go, and seemed on edge.

She then asked if they had heard the baby screaming.

Stanway went upstairs and said she had found a pillow over the baby's face,and a blanket. She had picked him up and blew into his face because she thought he was not responding.

The child opened his eyes, and was found to be perfectly unharmed.

The court was told that Ms Pearce had been asked to leave the house, which she did.

Mr Wild said police had initially been concerned about the evidence of Stanway and Hampton-Ogden at the time, because they had not been called in until some two hours afterwards, no ambulance had been called, and the child did not seem distressed in any way.

They were forced to take the allegation seriously after seeing the post on Facebook.