Woman jailed for illegally obtaining abortion tablets to be released from prison after sentence cut
A woman jailed for illegally obtaining abortion tablets to end her pregnancy during lockdown will be released from prison after the Court of Appeal reduced her sentence.
Carla Foster, 45, was originally handed a 28-month sentence in June.
But on Tuesday, three judges said this would be reduced to a 14-month suspended sentence. She will also have to complete up to 50 days of activity.
“This is a very sad case … It is a case that calls for compassion, not punishment, and where no useful purpose is served by detaining Ms Foster in custody,” Dame Victoria Sharp, sitting with Lord Justice Holroyde and Mrs Justice Lambert, said.
Foster appeared at the hearing via video link from Foston Hall Prison – where she has spent 35 days – wearing glasses and a dark blue top with flowers on the shoulders.
The mother of three had admitted illegally procuring her own abortion when she was between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant during the COVID pandemic.
The termination was eight to 10 weeks later than the 24-week legal period for having an abortion in England, Scotland and Wales.
At the sentencing, the court heard she was sent the drugs by charity the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) after she called them during lockdown and lied about how far along in her pregnancy she was.
Abortion rights march following Foster’s conviction in June
Following the Court of Appeal ruling, Labour MP Stella Creasy said: “The relief that this woman can go home to be with her children is tempered by the knowledge there are more cases to come where women in England being prosecuted and investigated for having abortions under this archaic legislation.
“That’s why we need decrim now.”
The case has galvanised the pro-abortion movement.
Last month, thousands of abortion rights activists marched from the Royal Courts of Justice to Whitehall, demanding an end to the criminalisation of abortion, following Foster’s sentencing.
Clare Murphy, chief executive of the BPAS, said on Tuesday that she “echoes the judges’ statements”.
She said the court had “recognised that this cruel, antiquated law does not reflect the values of society today” and urged parliament to decriminalise abortion as a “matter of urgency”.
Chiara Capraro, Amnesty International UK’s women’s rights director, added that abortion is “essential healthcare” and called Foster’s treatment “deeply disturbing”.
During the appeal, barrister Barry White, representing Foster, said there was a lack of “vital” reports into her mental health at the time of the offence and that “the obvious impact of the pandemic added to Ms Foster’s already anxious state of mind”.
The court heard that Foster was refused any form of communication with her three children, one of whom is autistic, while in prison.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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