Jody Simpson was locked up after she and her partner Anthony Smith for the abuse of six-week-old Tony, who in the years since has raised £1.8million for charity
An evil mum who abused her six-week-old son so severely he lost his legs has been attacked in her jail cell, reports claim.
Jody Simpson, 31, has endured “bullying by other prisoners”, it is said, since she and partner Anthony Smith was jailed for the abuse of Tony Hudgell. The baby suffered multiple fractures, dislocations and blunt trauma to the face. He was left untreated and in agony for 10 days, a court heard.
Since then, Tony has raised £1.8 million for charity, most of which during the Covid pandemic when he walked 10km (6.2miles) on his prosthetic legs inspired by Captain Tom. He was adopted by Mark and Paula Hudgell of Kings Hill, Kent, and renamed Tony following the horrendous child cruelty.
Now, details of Simpson’s attack have emerged during a Parole Board judgment, which means her next bid for freedom will be held behind closed doors.
The heartless mum, from Maidstone, Kent, was released last February but was recalled to prison in June 2024 after breaking her strict licence conditions by having “a relationship with a convicted sex offender”. An application had been made for her next parole board hearing to be heard in public, rather than in private as is usually the case.
According to The Sun, the appeal stated that the proceedings should be able to be reported on because of the “far reaching and profound in respect of life changing injuries caused to Tony”.
Simpson opposed the public hearing because she “should be able to speak openly and honestly about her life, her own mental health, her work in custody including psychotherapy, her time on licence.”
The Parole Board judgement, refusing the public hearing, states: “Ms Simpson’s behaviour in custody seems to have been good. On many occasions she was bullied by other prisoners who were aware of the nature of her offences and of the extensive publicity given to the case in the media. This has caused various difficulties for her during her sentence, which need not be detailed here.”
It adds: “Ms Simpson continues to receive threats and experience bullying within the prison. There is a lot of name calling and verbal threats to harm her.
“Prior to release she was physically assaulted in her room. She is aware there are prisoners who will follow through with their threats and she tries to do all she can to keep herself safe.
“If a public hearing was granted, more people in the prison (and community) would know of her, and this would make any part of the prison unsafe for her, in turn impacting the prison officers’ ability to maintain order in the prison and protect Ms Simpson from attacks.
“Ms Simpson will in any event be at risk of harm from other prisoners in the establishment and potentially in any future establishment and in the community due to the nature of the index offence and the threats she continually receives in this respect.
“Having a public hearing will cause the threats and bullying to escalate. The index offence stirs up strong feelings, and Ms Simpson has genuine fears for her safety.” It has also been revealed that she now shows “some remorse for not having done more to protect Tony” but still denies her guilt.