The Surrey woman convicted of trashing her dead newborn baby boy in January of 2010 is pregnant again, two independent sources have told The Richmond Review.
Courtny Dawn Taylor, 22, was recently handed a 12-month conditional sentence during which she's under house arrest for the next six months.
Taylor's pregnancy has those familiar with the case concerned, as sources indicate her negative attitude toward this pregnancy hasn't changed since her first pregnancy. A call to her lawyer, Chandra Corriveau, was not immediately returned.
As part of her sentence, Taylor must notify her conditional sentence supervisor and doctors if she become pregnant again, Richmond provincial court Judge Jodie Werier ruled earlier this month.
Two of the many other conditions are:
• "If you become pregnant you are to attend and maintain all necessary medical and counselling appointments as directed by your Supervisor or your medical practitioners."
• "If directed by your Supervisor or medical practitioner(s), you are to attend for medical examinations and testing for pregnancy and then to provide verifiable results of such examinations to your Supervisor. This will not be more often than at four month intervals."
Werier also ordered that Taylor provide a DNA sample.
"...I am satisfied given the nature of the offence and the circumstances surrounding its commission that it is in the best interests of the administration of justice that you do so."
Two psychological assessments of Taylor found her to be a low-risk, and a low-to-moderate risk, to re-offend.
A forensic psychiatric assessment conducted by Dr. Nina Fusco and Dr. Ken LaTorre "did not find any signs or symptoms of any major psychiatric disorder and indicate that she is at a low or moderate risk to re-offend. In their clinical formulation they found that Ms. Taylor was unable to provide a reasonable explanation for her actions," according to the Werier's written reasons for judgement.
In the psychiatric report, they stated: "She asserted that she did not know that she was pregnant, despite repeated questioning from friends, being sexually active without the use of any contraception or birth control, and noticing physiological changes in her body such as weight gain. As noted, she indicated that she only began to suspect her pregnancy two days prior to giving birth.
"Furthermore, Ms. Taylor's description of the offence, observations by the police during questioning, as well as comments that she reportedly made to her colleagues before her arrest, suggest that she did not show any remorse or negative response.
"Ms. Taylor impressed as being concerned with others' perceptions of her rather than the baby or her own health following the birth. It therefore appears that the criminogenic factors that contributed to the index offence include Ms. Taylor’s egocentricity, remorselessness, negative attitudes, sexual naiveté’ and/or irresponsibility, and perhaps substance abuse to a lesser extent."
Aside from the conditional sentence, she received two years of probation and was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.
On Jan. 31, 2010, Taylor gave birth to a full-term baby boy in the bathroom of her boyfriend's home.
After delivering the baby, who wasn't breathing or moving, she wrapped him in a towel and put him in a garbage bag. She then showered and cleaned up the blood, and then awoke her sleeping boyfriend.
Concerned the body would decompose and smell, she asked for her boyfriend's help in disposing of the body, and they tossed it into the dumpster of a nearby school some 12 to 14 hours later.
She missed just one day of work, but continued to socialize with friends, including visiting a casino.
It wasn't until a coworker noticed her sudden weight loss that the police were contacted.
They eventually questioned Taylor and her boyfriend, who admitted to what happened.
After a three-day search by police at landfill at Burns Bog, the partial remains of the baby were found. But not enough of the body was left to determine whether the baby was stillborn.
In her decision, Judge Werier said she could not find beyond a reasonable doubt that Taylor was aware of the pregnancy more than two days prior to her giving birth.
For the complete court ruling, click here: http://www.provincialcourt.bc.ca/judgments/pc/2011/00/p11_0085.htm.