Peckham pregnant woman attack: Kevin Wilson in court accused of 'destroying' his unborn child

A man has appeared in court accused of "destroying" his unborn child by repeatedly kicking a heavily pregnant woman in the stomach in south-east London.

Kevin Wilson, 20, of Bermondsey is accused of the "sickening assault" on a street in Peckham that resulted in Malorie Bantala, who was eight months pregnant, losing her unborn baby.

Bantala, 21, was attacked by two men wearing motorbike helmets on 15 June. The men approached her, pushed her to the ground and proceeded to repeatedly stamp on and kick her stomach.

Wilson, named as the father of the unborn child but no longer with Bantala, appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court in London on suspicion of child destruction and grievous bodily harm.

He appeared only to confirm his name, address and date of birth before being remanded in custody ahead of his next hearing at Woolwich Crown on 2 July.

The full charges against Wilson are "intent to destroy the life of a child capable of being born alive, by a wilful act, namely kicking and stamping on the stomach of the 32 weeks pregnant mother, causing the child to die before it had any existence independent of its mother" and "unlawfully and maliciously" causing grievous bodily harm to Bantala with intent.

She remains in critical condition in hospital following the attack.

Det Chief Insp Robert Pack, from the Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: "This was a truly abhorrent and vile attack on a heavily pregnant woman who has now, tragically, lost her baby.

"The men who attacked her must have known the impact their actions would have when they kicked her repeatedly in the stomach. It is sickening to think someone would deliberately target a pregnant woman in this way."

The London Ambulance Service has apologised after it emerged that Bantala had to wait 70 minutes from when an ambulance was called until she was eventually taken to hospital by police.

A spokesperson said the delay from the emergency call, made by a member of the public, had been assessed as a "lower priority".