Mum bought 5-year-old son McDonald's then tied their hands together and jumped to death
A mum tied her son to her wrist and jumped to their deaths (Picture: PA)
A mum bought her son a McDonald’s Happy Meal, filled his rucksack with rocks and tied their hands together before jumping into a reservoir, an inquest heard. Emma Sillent, 41, drove five-year-old Jenson Spellman to a deserted spot in Derbyshire before ending their lives in murder-suicide.
The social worker left a note in her car which made it clear she wanted to end her own life but couldn’t bear to leave her son behind.
Jenson was found ‘tied to her by his wrist’, Chesterfield Coroner’s Court heard.
Emma had been struggling with depression for years and had recently suffered three miscarriages, the hearing was told.
Their bodies were found at Valehouse Reservoir in the Derbyshire Peak District two days after they were reported missing on November 20 last year.
The mum said she would ‘leave a marker’ to help locate their bodies, which led officers to find a cuddly toy and a torch at the water’s edge. Jenson’s dad John Spellman called emergency services the following day, DC Rebecca Fearon told the inquest.
He told them his partner had been ‘very low’ and that she had previously talked about ‘ending it all’.
Emma’s black Peugeot 308 at the reservoir, less than three miles from the family’s home in the village of Dinting, near Glossop.
Leftovers from a Happy Meal, a handbag, phone and purse was found in the car.
DC Fearon said: ‘It was clear she battled with thoughts of suicide, but had also battled with continuing to live.’
She added: ‘She said she could not stand the thought of Jenson living without her.
She talked about never wanting to put him through a life of pain and being bullied and singled out.
‘She said she wanted to tie him to her because she did not want him drifting away from her.’
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