A coroner has opened an inquest on a seven-year-old boy from Abingdon who died more than 40 years ago - after his mother admitted killing him to "quietly end his life."

The woman told how she had asked her cancer-suffering son if he wanted her to ease his pain and when he said "yes please" she gave him a large dose of morphine.

Antonya Cooper, who confessed to ending the life of her terminally ill son Hamish earlier this year in a frank interview with her local BBC radio station, has since died herself after becoming terminally ill. She admitted in the interview that she had hidden her secret for 43 years. 

Opening an inquest into little Hamish's death, Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter was told by his coroner's officer David Saith: "In July 2024 a BBC interview with Hamish’s mother was published in which she stated she had given Hamish a large dose of morphine to stop his suffering and 'quietly end his life.' 

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"I understand the circumstances to be that on December 1 1981 he died at Frilford. His cause of death was certified as 1a) Acute anaemia and 1b) Neuroblastoma with metastases." 

Neuroblastoma is a rare form of Stage 4 cancer.

Mr Saith added: "The body subject of this inquiry is that of Hamish Randle Trevenen Cooper, a seven-year-old male who was born on  February 23 1974 in Oxford. At the time of his death he resided at Frilford.

"Hamish died with family members present so his identity was appropriately confirmed at the time of his death. I confirm that the contents of this statement are true to the best of my knowledge and belief."

Mr Salter set a date for the full inquest February next year.

Before her death in July, Mrs Cooper told the BBC: "On Hamish’s last night, when he said he was in a lot of pain, I said: ‘Would you like me to remove the pain?’ He said: ‘Yes please, mama.'

“Through his Hickman Catheter, I gave him a large dose of morphine that did quietly end his life.”

Mrs Cooper, who was aged 77 years at the time of her death at her home in Abingdon, this year, admitted the act to support efforts to change laws regarding assisted dying.

Hamish was left in great pain following 16 months of "beastly" cancer treatment, his mother said in the interview. He had neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that mostly affects children.

Mrs Cooper said that her son was aged five years when diagnosed and was initially given a prognosis of three months.

Following 16 months of "beastly" cancer treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital, his life was extended but he was left in great pain, according to his mother.

Asked if she believed her son knew she was intending to end his life, Mrs Cooper said bravely: "I feel very strongly that at the point of Hamish telling me he was in pain, and asking me if I could remove his pain, he knew, he knew somewhere what was going to happen.

"But I cannot obviously tell you why or how but I was his mother. He loved his mother and I totally loved him and I was not going to let him suffer. I feel he really knew where he was going."

She continued: "It was the right thing to do. My son was facing the most horrendous suffering and intense pain, I was not going to allow him to go through that."

Asked if she understood she was potentially admitting manslaughter or murder, she replied: "Yes."

"If they come 43 years after I have allowed Hamish to die peacefully, then I would have to face the consequences. But they would have to be quick, because I'm dying too," she added.