LOUISE PORTON FROM RUGBY FOUND GUILTY OF MURDERING HER DAUGHTERS IN HORRIFIC CRIME SCENE

In a chilling case that has shocked the community of Rugby, Louise Porton, a 23-year-old woman, has been convicted of the brutal murders of her two young daughters. The verdict was delivered at Birmingham Crown Court after a harrowing trial that revealed the extent of her heinous actions and the disturbing circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Louise Porton, known to some as a part-time model, was found guilty of killing her daughters, Lexi Draper, aged three, and Scarlett Vaughan, aged 16 months, in January of the previous year. The court heard how her motives were driven by a desire to eliminate her children because they interfered with her personal pursuits, particularly her involvement in sex work. The evidence presented painted a picture of a mother who prioritized her lifestyle over her children’s well-being, leading to tragic consequences.

According to court records, Porton suffocated Lexi Draper in January last year. Just two weeks later, she murdered her second daughter, Scarlett Vaughan. Despite the girls showing signs of distress, Porton attempted to conceal the true nature of their deaths. In emergency calls to 999, she maintained a facade, claiming that her children had simply fallen ill. However, medical examinations revealed a different story: both girls were found to be “freezing” and had been dead for some time, with signs of rigor mortis indicating they had been deceased for hours before the calls were made.

Further evidence included haunting CCTV footage capturing the final moments of the girls’ lives. The footage showed both children appearing “chatty, alert, and happy” shortly before their deaths, contradicting the narrative of sudden illness. The court also heard about the disturbing behavior of Porton, who, after her daughters’ deaths, remained eerily calm. She was overheard laughing at a funeral parlour while making arrangements for Lexi’s burial just two days before Scarlett’s murder.

Porton’s actions extended beyond her crimes. She engaged in online activities that included exchanging explicit messages with clients while her children were in her care. She used dating apps such as MeetMe and Badoo, often leaving her children with relatives so she could meet with clients. She even discussed performing sex acts in her car and in a van with a man she called “simple Simon,” all while her young children slept nearby. Her online presence also included posing for risqué photographs under the alias “Lollypop” on the website PurplePort, where she specialized in erotic, cosplay, and glamour photography. She boasted about her reliability and openness to various types of photoshoots, often wearing fetish gear and revealing outfits.

Evidence showed that Porton had taken Lexi to hospital after she suffered a seizure, and she continued to communicate with clients during her daughter’s treatment. She exchanged messages with a hospital security guard and even arranged to meet a photographer for sex acts, citing financial difficulties as her motivation. On the day before Lexi’s death, she messaged a man, expressing her distress over her daughter’s illness, describing it as “that deadly flu” and implying her child might die. Just hours before Lexi’s death, she conducted internet searches about how long it takes a body to “go cold” and whether people can be resuscitated after drowning.

Paramedics responded to her call at 12:50 am on January 15, finding Lexi with pale, mottled skin, blue lips, and signs of rigor mortis, indicating she had been dead for some time. Scarlett was also found dead, with evidence suggesting she had been murdered earlier, despite Porton’s attempts to cover up her actions by calling emergency services and claiming her children were “asleep.” Both children died from deliberate airway obstruction, with no prior medical issues. The court heard that Porton remained “calm and emotionless” after the deaths, even laughing at a funeral parlour while arranging Lexi’s burial, and yawned when asked about their belongings, acting as if she had simply lost a pet.

Throughout the trial, Porton denied any involvement in her children’s deaths, insisting she loved her daughters and never considered them an inconvenience. She claimed her lifestyle was difficult but maintained she never exploited her children’s illnesses for financial gain. However, testimonies from her former landlord, Leigh-Anne Bradley, painted a different picture, describing a mother who often left her children with others and occasionally swore at them when she looked after them herself.

Prosecutor Oliver Saxby QC summarized the case, stating, “At times, her two children got in the way of her doing what she wanted, when she wanted and with whom she wanted. Putting it simply, and I hope neutrally, this wasn’t a life in which caring for her two young children – indeed, having two young children to care for – always easily fitted.”

Louise Porton now faces a life sentence, with her sentencing scheduled for the following day, as the community and the families of the victims await justice for the tragic loss of Lexi and Scarlett.