Boy, 9, killed by 'doting but distressed' mother

A nine-year-old boy who "loved life and nature" was killed by his "unconventional, doting" mother who then took her own life, a coroner has concluded.

Hudson Paterson, nine, and Tasmin Paterson, 31, were found dead by her partner in a bedroom in a bungalow at Fletchersbridge, near Bodmin, Cornwall, in September 2024, an inquest heard.

Senior coroner for Cornwall Andrew Cox said Ms Paterson had argued with Marcus Hughes and had gone to bed "distressed" with the thought the relationship was coming to an end.

Cox concluded Hudson's cause of death was unlawful killing and, for Ms Paterson's death, recorded a verdict of suicide.

Hughes said the couple had been sleeping in separate rooms and when he went to wake them, he grew concerned as there was no response, so he called 999 and forced entry.

Emergency crews tried to resuscitate them but they were pronounced dead and Devon and Cornwall Police's major crime team was called in to investigate.

The inquest heard Ms Paterson, who was "very spiritual", had taken her son to bed with her during the evening and had said he had not been feeling well.

Hughes told the inquest Ms Paterson "believed she was psychic" and had claimed she sensed something "bad" about the house they recently moved into.

They had argued about this along with long-term health problems she had, plus her financial problems and discovering Hughes had been using an online dating site, the hearing was told.

Aaron Paterson, Hudson's father, told the inquest he and Ms Paterson married young and had Hudson before separating amicably after 12 years.

He said he "couldn't fault her" as a mother, adding "Hudson was her world" and he did not "think she was capable of this".

Cox said Ms Paterson's cause of death had been clear, but her son's had not and there were two possible situations.

He said: "The first is that Hudson has died of some unrecognised natural disease and Tasmin has taken her own life as a consequence.

"The second is that she decided to end her own life and could not bear the prospect of being separated from her son, so killed him first."

He said the evidence from police suggested "more likely than not" that Hudson was killed by her.

"That is a shocking turn of events, it is difficult to comprehend but I accept that evidence and as a matter of fact I find that is what has happened," Cox added.

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