Celebrity Snapper's Ex-wife Suffocated Their Autistic Son, 10, By Stuffing Sponge In Mouth After Suffering Breakdown

Since undergoing a psychotic breakdown, a woman has admitted murdering her autistic son while trying to care for him weeks after help was withdrawn during the first lockdown. Realizing she was 'the second Jesus,' Olga Freeman, 40, inserted a sponge into the mouth of 10-year-old Dylan and lay him down in the master bedroom of her £ 544,000 flat in Acton, west London, to die next to his toys.

A genetic condition marked by developmental delay, including blindness, small head circumference, poor arms, and visibility deficiency, Dylan endured from Cohen Syndrome. The court heard that in the six months previous to his suicide, Freeman had tried to provide for Dylan, who was also autistic. At the time of his son's murder, the boy's father, celebrity photographer Dean Freeman, was in Spain. According to Mr Freeman's agent last year, the pair, married in 2011, had been divorced several years'.

Credit: central news

The court was told that Freeman had suffered from visions of grandeur, saying that she was the 'second Jesus' and wanted to go to Jerusalem.

In the week leading up to the killing, she had spoken about saving the world and being a Messiah, saying in a voice recording: 'This is my job: to sacrifice my beloved child to create a balance in this world.' Dylan had attended a special school five days a week, but he was not able to attend school after the first lockdown last year, with the responsibility of treatment falling on his mother, the court was told.

A former carer for Dylan said he had to give up the job, which involved taking the child out to the park 'for a couple of hours so that Olga could have some time to herself', because he found it too demanding, with Dylan 'kicking his arms and legs and throwing things around'. Rakesh Shukla, who lives in Acton, West London, told MailOnline in August: 'I found it very stressful so I can't imagine what it must have been like for her.

'I only saw her last week and she looked drained and tired.' Freeman emerged today from a psychiatric unit at the Old Bailey via video-link and talked to admit manslaughter because of diminished liability. "Her defence lawyer Jane Bickerstaff QC said she was "suffering from psychiatric symptoms from a mental disorder.

After due thought, Lawyer Gareth Patterson QC said the plea was appropriate to the Crown. The prosecutor said: 'The defendant was recently transferred to hospital under the Mental Health Act. The prosecution received from the defence of a psychological report from Dr David Bird. 

'The partial defence of diminished responsibility is available to the defendant on the basis there was a severe depressive episode with psychotic symptoms at the time. 

'That is acceptable to the prosecution after careful consideration and extensive further inquiries by the officers conducting this investigation.'

In the throat of the victim, pieces of a sponge were found, the court was told. The court has previously learned that her friend, Edita Surpickaja, had said that as he grew older and her mental health had deteriorated, Freeman had failed to satisfy Dylan's needs. On August 15 of last year, just before midnight, the accused telephoned and asked her to go around.

Credit: PA

Freeman told her friend not to go into the bedroom, saying: 'We need to go to Jerusalem. I did what I did.

'Sometimes when things are good it can be evil.'

Dylan's body with clear ligature marks and a bra, melatonin, adhesive tape, and a sponge were discovered by police who went to the home.

The complainant said she murdered Dylan before midnight while at the police station. She said she had given him melatonin tablets and put a sponge in his mouth, using her bra and then her hands.

Joel Smith, prosecuting, earlier told the court: 'A friend and ex-partner of the defendant, Edita Surpickaja had noticed that the defendant had been struggling to met Dylan's care needs for the last year as he became older and bigger and more difficult to care for.

'Around six months ago Dylan's behaviour had become especially challenging.

'Dylan had attended a special school for five days per week but during the lock-down had not been able to attend school. The burden of care had fallen on the defendant with assistance from Ms Surpickaja.

'Ms. Surpickaja had only been able to offer that assistance for around 12 hours per week and had noticed a decline in the defendant's mental health.

'The defendant had sought assistance from the local council, but Ms Surpickaja would tell the police, had received none.

'Around 14 August 2020, it appears that the defendant argued with her ex-husband, Dylan's father, about his role in caring for Dylan.

'She told the police that as this had not worked she had used her bra and then her hands to kill her son and had put a sponge in his mouth to help him go softly.

'She had then placed his body where he liked to sleep with his toys to allow him to die with 'dignity and kindness'.

'She was then arrested and not comment.'

Dylan's father, the Dean, is Robert Freeman's uncle, who took pictures of some of the most famous Beatles album covers.

Dean is a photographer as well and is best known for his portraits of Spice Girls members and David Beckham. Stars like Bradley Cooper and Emily Ratajkowski have also been snapped by Dean Freeman.

Kristen Katsouris, from the CPS, said: 'This was a tragic death of a child at the hands of his mother who was struggling to cope.

'Olga Freeman had loved and cared for Dylan for many years, but the strain and pressures of her son's severe and complex special needs had built up and that combined with her impaired mental health led to heart-breaking consequences.

'Our thoughts are with all those affected by this case.'