JIA XIN TEO FROM COVENTRY CONVICTED OF MURDERING NEWBORN BABY IN SHOCKING CASE

A 22-year-old student originally from Malaysia, Jia Xin Teo, has been found guilty of the murder of her newborn baby in a disturbing case that has shocked the Coventry community. The incident came to light after Teo, who arrived in the United Kingdom earlier this year to pursue her studies at Coventry University, was implicated in the death of her child, whose body was concealed in a cereal box.

During the trial held at Warwick Crown Court, it was revealed that Teo gave birth to her baby on the 4th of March within the confines of her student hall bathroom. Following the birth, she took the drastic step of hiding her newborn in a cereal box, which she then sealed inside a plastic bag. This makeshift container was subsequently placed inside a suitcase, which Teo kept in her room. The court heard that Teo later told police that her baby had survived for at least a few minutes after birth and was still moving when she was placed in the box and bag, indicating that the child was alive at the time of her concealment.

Prosecutor David Mason KC detailed how Teo had managed to keep her pregnancy hidden from her friends and family. It was also revealed that she refused assistance when a university friend found her in her room, covered in blood, after the birth. When questioned by hospital staff, Teo initially denied that she had given birth, but a pregnancy test confirmed her pregnancy, prompting police involvement. The investigation led to the discovery of the baby’s body in her bedroom, inside a suitcase, after Teo admitted her actions.

In her testimony, Teo explained that she was terrified her family and friends back in Malaysia would discover her secret. She also claimed to have been hearing voices that urged her to abandon the child. The prosecution emphasized that the baby was born alive and could have survived, but Teo deliberately chose to hide her and ultimately caused her death by disposing of her in the cereal box. For two days, Teo misled friends, medical personnel, and police about her child's whereabouts until she finally confessed to her actions.

Jia Xin Teo is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, and her case continues to evoke widespread concern and discussion about the circumstances that led to such a tragic outcome in Coventry.