A dad-to-be who forced a pregnant teenager to drink laundry detergent as he didn’t want to be a father has died in prison.
Harief Pearson, from Harlesden, hired his cousin to kill his unborn child in December 2018.
The teenager was pulled to the floor and repeatedly kicked in the stomach, while laundry detergent was forced into her mouth.
When the attack was over Pearson warned the pregnant teenager that he would take out a £10,000 contract on her life if she told anyone.
Pearson was jailed for 11 years for grievous bodily harm (GBH) in 2019 but it has now been revealed that he was found dead in his prison cell less than three years into his sentence.
‘Died as a result of taking illicit substances’
After he was sentenced in July 2019, Pearson was transferred to HMP Swaleside in Kent.
He was diagnosed as having PTSD and a history of cannabis use.
He later received counselling for trauma related to being stabbed, but a counsellor did not note any signs of substance misuse.
On June 1, 2022, officers unlocked Pearson’s cell and found him unresponsive.
Doctors were called and confirmed that he had died.
Tests were carried out on ripped pages within a notebook in Pearson’s cell and they identified that the paper contained traces of THC, the psychoactive compound found in cannabis.
A post mortem concluded that the cause of Mr Pearson’s death was acute cerebral and pulmonary oedema.
A pathologist said this cause of death suggested substance use, but this could not be confirmed due to the poor quality of the blood and urine samples taken from Pearson after his death.
Although it is possible to die from THC inhalation, it is uncommon.
A prison death report said: “It is disappointing that post-mortem toxicology tests could not provide a definitive cause of death for Mr Pearson; however, we consider that, in all likelihood, Mr Pearson died as a result of taking illicit substances.”
‘Tried to kill his unborn child’
Pearson, of Caple Road in Harlesden, hired his cousin Kydie McKenna to kill his unborn child in December 2018.
The pregnant teenager and Pearson had argued at his home. When she tried to leave he took her phone and called McKenna.
McKenna and a 16-year-old then attacked the victim, pulling her to the floor and kicking her repeatedly in the stomach, back and face for 20 minutes.
Pearson re-entered the room and ordered the assault to stop.
But after asking his girlfriend whether she thought she had miscarried, Pearson ordered the attack to start again and the younger assailant forced detergent into the girlfriend's mouth.
The attack only stopped when Pearson worried his mother would return, police said.
Pearson told his girlfriend that he would take out a £10,000 contract on her life if she told the police.
The victim convinced McKenna to call her an ambulance and she was taken to hospital where she told medical staff what happened.
The baby survived the attack.
Analysis of Pearson's phone showed that he had made several internet searches about how to get rid of an unborn child.
Pearson was jailed for 11 years for grievous bodily harm with intent, while McKenna was sentenced to 10 years.
The 16-year-old girl was detained for four years for attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
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