Pregnant teen obtained pills for illegal abortion, court hears

“It was impossible for her to have an abortion at this stage,” Mrs Vigars said.

“Staff spent time speaking with them and unsurprisingly both of them appeared shocked.”

Community midwives were unsuccessful in their attempts to contact Miss Harvey, the court heard.

“She didn’t want to have the baby and bluntly both of them wanted the problem to disappear,” the prosecutor said.

The court heard the defendants had searched the internet for information on illegal abortions and the drugs needed.

Addressing the jury, Mrs Vigars said: “Whatever your views of abortion and the right of woman to choose, or whether you believe abortion is wrong because of the ending of a life, what is very clear is this: by the beginning of September 2018, Sophie Harvey and Elliot Benham were in a difficult position and one that was not going to go away unless they did something about it.”

Mrs Vigars said about a week after the BPAS appointment, Mr Benham paid £309.44 for drugs to induce a medical abortion, which he collected from the Royal Mail on 22 September.