Mother faked DNA test to prevent contact from father

A mother allegedly faked a DNA test in an attempt to prevent the father of her newborn daughter from having access to the child, a court was told.

Georgina Saville, 25, is accused of misleading her ex-boyfriend, Kyle Fitton, 26, by claiming DNA results showed he was not the baby’s father, in an effort to discourage him from seeking custody through legal channels. Additionally, she is accused of falsifying the birth certificate by naming her new partner, Danny Mellows, as the father.

Saville appeared in Southampton Crown Court facing charges of perverting the course of justice and making a false declaration of birth. Prosecutor Nick Tucker explained that Saville and Mr. Fitton were in a four-year relationship during which they had two daughters, one born in March 2019 and the other in January 2022. He described their relationship as "unhappy," marked by frequent arguments and breakups.

The court heard that the couple separated after their second daughter was conceived in April 2021. During this time, Saville informed Mr. Fitton via text that she was pregnant with his child. However, she later told his mother, who acted as a go-between, that she planned to claim he was not the father, stating, “I’ve had enough.”

Following the baby’s birth, Saville refused to let Mr. Fitton see either of his children and left his name off the baby’s birth certificate. In response, Mr. Fitton initiated legal action to gain access to his children and to have his name added to the certificate. Two months later, Saville sent Mr. Fitton’s solicitors DNA test results, which she claimed showed her then-boyfriend, Mr. Mellows, as the father. However, in July 2022, a court-ordered DNA test confirmed Mr. Fitton was indeed the father.

In her defense, Saville’s barrister argued that she had “panicked” and made an "ill-informed decision" by submitting the false DNA test results. Nonetheless, the court heard that Saville went to a registry office to list Mr. Mellows as the father on the birth certificate, a document they both signed, despite knowing it was false.

Prosecutor Tucker stated that Saville's actions were deliberate, with the aim of giving Mr. Mellows legal parental responsibility and excluding Mr. Fitton. When arrested, Saville admitted to providing a "made-up" DNA test to "get Mr. Fitton off her back." Despite acknowledging that she faked the DNA test, Saville claims she genuinely believed there was a possibility Mr. Mellows could have been the father.

The trial is ongoing.