Pregnant woman ‘pleaded with ex-lover not to kill unborn baby’

In video evidence played to Hull Crown Court yesterday, Lauren Oliver said she “knew what he was going for” as Nicholas Leaning repeatedly stabbed her to try and prevent her proving he was the father of her child.

Leaning, 28, from Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, is on trial for the attempted murder and attempted child destruction of the baby.

The baby was born by emergency caesarean section following the stabbing on June 11 this year.

During her evidence, Miss Oliver, of Belton, Lincolnshire, said: “I knew it was him and I knew what he was going for. He was trying to kill the baby.

“It was like he was enjoying it because he was smiling. I pleaded with him not to kill me and my baby.”

The court heard Leaning and Miss Oliver had been in a “great” relationship for around two years before she discovered he had rekindled a relationship with his ex-partner Lindsay Coombs.

The pair split in November last year – but Miss Oliver then discovered she was pregnant with his child.

She claims he made repeated demands that she abort the baby, but she refused.

She said: “I went to see Lindsay and she showed me pictures and messages and everything to prove they were together.

“We found out he had been with us both all along. I found out I was pregnant, and when I told him he told me to I had to go and get an abortion, but I didn’t want to. He was nice at first saying ‘it’s not right’, but when I said I couldn’t go through with it, he got mad.”

The trial continues.