Woman admits ending pregnancy one week before due date

A woman has pleaded guilty to ending her pregnancy just one week before her baby was due to be born, police said today.

Sarah Catt is believed to have bought medication from the internet that would induce labour.

At Leeds Crown Court today, Catt, 35, admitted procuring her own miscarriage.

No evidence of the baby has ever been found, North Yorkshire Police said.

Catt told police she had terminated the pregnancy legally, despite medical records in March 2010 showing her to be nearly 30 weeks pregnant - six weeks beyond the 24-week legal limit for a termination.

Police said Catt ended her pregnancy within a week of the baby's due date.

Chief Inspector Kerrin Smith, of North Yorkshire Police, said: "Sarah Catt has today entered a guilty plea to the court. This marks the end of a long police investigation but many questions remain unanswered."

Ms Smith added: "During the investigation, North Yorkshire Police gathered evidence that Sarah Catt purchased medication via the internet which would facilitate a labour and delivery of a child.

"The evidence shows this to have happened in the final phase of pregnancy, the third trimester, ie within the last week of the due date that this baby should have been born.

"Although a guilty plea has been entered today, Sarah Catt has not co-operated with the investigation at any stage and so the question 'What has happened to the baby which Catt was carrying?' remains unanswered.

"To date no remains of that pregnancy and no child has been traced."

Catt will be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on September 17.

PA