First published 06 Apr 2009;
Catherine Scott had a privileged upbringing, having been raised with her two sisters in a £1million detached house in Sevenoaks, Kent, by solicitor parents.
But by the time she was 12, she was rebelling. She left school at 12, and when she was just 14 she became pregnant by a 29-year-old Big Issue seller.
Her son is being cared for by her parents, and now, aged just 17, she’s expecting twins with dad-of-five Dean Evans. More shockingly still, at 40 years old he is 23 years her senior.
Dean, who has convictions for drink driving and boasts of sleeping with 200 women, will support his new family with his £16,000-a-year benefits. The former builder already has five children under 18 by three different partners, but doesn’t pay child maintenance because he’s been unable to work since suffering a groin injury.
'They've been evicted from one flat for not paying rent'
Now the couple, who live in Margate, want to get a council flat in Catherine’s name when she turns 18. They’ve already been evicted from one flat for not paying their rent and claim their “human rights have been breached” because the council won’t re-house them in Sevenoaks, where they want to live.
Meanwhile, Catherine admits she has no intention of working either, saying: “I studied massage at college for a few weeks a while back, but I couldn’t concentrate. Since then I’ve not really thought about work – and with twins I’ll hardly have the time, will I?”
Despite this, she’s adamant she and Dean, who’s been married three times, will be the perfect parents, insisting: “People might think the age gap is weird, but Dean acts much younger than he is and I act much older.”
She adds: “We’ve both been parents before so we know what we’re doing. Dean has five children and takes his responsibilities seriously.”
Yet although Dean sees his kids, he admits some of his exes don’t speak to him because of the way their relationships ended.
And Catherine says of her son, now two: “I love him to pieces. The trouble is, because I was so young when I had him, my parents were really hands-on bringing him up. Now I don’t feel they want to let him go even though I’m responsible enough to look after him on my own.”
To her parents’ horror, Catherine walked out of school when she was 12, saying she was bullied. She says: “I do feel sad that I missed out at school and I feel the government failed me by not doing more when I left because of the bullies.”
'At the age of 13, she started a relationship with a 29-year-old'
Shockingly, at the age of 13, she started a relationship with a 29-year-old.
Catherine explains: “I met him when he was by a train station, where he was selling The Big Issue. He started talking to me and we had sex within weeks, despite his age. He refused to use contraception and I never questioned it as I didn’t know better. My parents were beside themselves and tried to stop me, but I was under his spell.”
A year later, Catherine fell pregnant with her son. She says: “I was shocked, but I didn’t think about an abortion – I don’t agree with it or adoption.
“My parents were upset and urged me to get rid of it, but I couldn’t. As soon as he arrived they fell in love with him.”
For six months, Catherine was a full-time mum to her baby, changing nappies and getting up at night to care for him. But the teenager couldn’t cope and let her mother take over.
Months after the birth, Catherine ended her relationship with her boyfriend, and she now says: “I feel sick when I think about him. You can’t call a grown adult having sex with a 13 year old a relationship. My parents put in a police complaint after we split and I supported it. He was put on the sex offenders’ register and I see him as a pervert now.”
In the summer of 2007, when she was 15, Catherine started spending time with a friend, who was married to Dean at the time.
“He was good-looking and a laugh,” she says. “When he has his hair gelled up he could pass for being in his 20s.
“One day he grabbed me and snogged me. I didn’t feel guilty because it felt right.”
Catherine insists she and Dean didn’t take things any further until he split from his wife.
She says: “She was furious, but they were coming to an end anyway. She hasn’t spoken to either of us since.”
Within weeks, Catherine and Dean moved in together, leaving her son with his grandparents. Catherine claims she wanted to take her son with her, but her parents wouldn’t let her.
She insists: “I felt so sad and guilty for leaving him, but my parents felt it was for the best. I’d love him to come back to me one day.”
In May last year, Dean proposed to Catherine, while they were watching TV. Then in October, Catherine discovered she was pregnant with twins, due in June.
'Deans the best thing that's ever happened to me'
atherine adds: “Dean’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. We like spoiling each other – he takes me to the Beefeater restaurant and I’ve bought him a gold ring that spells out Dean. We’ll be together forever.”
But Catherine’s parents are less than thrilled.
Dean says: “They’re not happy, which I can understand because I felt funny about it at first. I was like: ‘Hang on, I’m more than twice her age.’ But I couldn’t help falling in love with her.”
Worryingly, Dean reveals: “I want to settle down as I’ve been a bit naughty in the past. I’ve never been faithful. I want us to have a good life together. I’d love to be a dad of 10.”
By Emma Ponsford