Detectives confront Susan Brooke, ending a 23-hour search for baby Lydia Owens, stolen from Llandudno hospital in 1995.
This arrest ended 23 hours of worry for Lydia’s parents. Christine and Michael Owens are from Llandudno, Conwy. Their baby daughter was stolen from a hospital. The crime shocked everyone in the nation.
The abduction happened in February 1995. It highlighted every parent’s worst fear. A huge search started for five-day-old Lydia Owens. A stranger took her right from her cot.
Police looked for a woman aged 35 to 40. She had dark hair. Two similar tips led police to Rhyl. Detectives Alan Dylan Owen and Huw Vevar went to a house.
They faced the kidnapper. Huw Vevar said they knew instantly she was the one. He said she seemed inconvenienced. He added she tried closing the door. Experience made him stop her quickly. They then chased her.
Their instincts were right. Baby Lydia was alive and healthy. She seemed unharmed. They discovered Susan Brooke’s lies. She was a 39-year-old grandmother. She also had three kids.
Susan married Phillip 15 months prior. He eagerly awaited twins. But the pregnancy went on and on. After 14 months, Phillip grew suspicious. He threatened to take her to the hospital.
He didn’t know it was a fake pregnancy. She had been sterilized years ago. Unable to keep up the lie, Susan went to the hospital. She carried a large floral bag.
Near the ward, she met Christine Owens. Christine had just given birth. Susan asked to see Lydia. Then, Susan went into the bathroom. She didn’t return until the coast was clear. The alarm rang at 8 p.m.
Police and search dogs searched the hospital. Nurses were questioned. One nurse spoke about the impact on the hospital. This nurse described the terrible reaction felt.
Siân Lloyd covered it as a young journalist. She said it was a huge story early in her career. The press was key for information.
Criminologist Dylan Rhys Jones gives insights. He talks about why people kidnap babies. Sarah Aubrey explains newborn vulnerability. She describes how the kidnapping changed security. Hospitals, especially maternity wards, became more careful.
Susan cried when confronted by detectives. She admitted she took the baby. Susan said she didn’t harm the baby. She said she feared her husband would leave. She apologized for her actions.
Lydia reunited with her parents quickly. It happened two hours after a TV appeal. Susan was given bail. She had to go to a hospital while awaiting trial.
The court sentenced her on June 10, 1995. She got two and a half years for kidnapping. The sentence increased by six months. She married Phillip while still married.
The judge called her a manipulative liar. He said she wasn’t mentally ill. He said she was responsible. The judge called her actions cruel and wicked.
The documentary explores the crime’s impact. Detectives and experts give their views. It shows the need for vigilance. Authorities must protect vulnerable people.