Lisa Hayden-Johnson, 52, known as Britain's 'most evil mother' for fabricating her son Matthew's severe illnesses, has spoken for the first time since her release from prison. She claims her actions were solely motivated by putting her son first.
Hayden-Johnson subjected her son to unnecessary medical procedures, including placing him in a wheelchair and administering unneeded drugs, to gain attention, celebrity endorsements, and financial rewards. She also connected him to an oxygen tank, which was transported on a Thomas the Tank Engine trolley. During the deception, she met Queen Camilla, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, and television personality Simon Cowell.
Her fabricated illness earned her thousands in cash donations, benefits, free cruises, and tickets to events like ITV's The X Factor. Matthew was also put forward for a national bravery award.
Health workers and school staff eventually alerted the police, leading to Hayden-Johnson's arrest. When questioned, she initially fabricated a rape claim to obstruct the investigation, but later confessed to child cruelty and perverting the course of justice. Holiday videos discovered by police showed Matthew running and eating normally on a cruise ship.
In 2010, Hayden-Johnson was sentenced to over three years in prison for child cruelty and perverting the course of justice. At the time, the judge described her as "cruel, manipulative, perverse, disordered and pitiful." Detective Constable Mark Uren called her a "cruel, manipulative, evil mother who constantly lied."
Matthew and his sister Laura, who suffers from complex PTSD due to the experience, appear in a new Channel 4 documentary titled 'Love You To Death.' Matthew, now 25, works in finance, and Laura, 27, is employed in childcare.
Hayden-Johnson's case is an example of Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (FDIA), formerly known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a form of child abuse where a caregiver fabricates or induces illness in a child.
