In the trade we call it babysitting and on this occasion it was literally just that.

A Sunderland woman had given birth to a miracle baby who survived being stabbed while in her womb just before Christmas.

Little Bailey was knifed in the buttocks before he was even born and he was delivered by an
emergency Caesarian and his mum had an operation to treat five knife wounds to her stomach, back and head.

Amanda Hunter was 38 weeks pregnant when she was attacked outside a hospital anti-natal clinic by a man wielding a kitchen knife.

At the time of publication a 25-year-old man was in custody charged with attempting to murder
Ms Hunter and threatening to kill her unborn son.

Obviously there was a bidding war among the tabloids to get her story and, after a deal was struck, I was sent to her home to babysit the mother and her unborn son.

Obviously one paper had offered a substantial sum to her and to protect the investment I was required to make sure that rival publications did not get pictures of her or the baby.

It seemed straightforward but it did not help that she decided that she wanted to take her baby out for a walk – I tried to explain that it was not a good idea but she was adamant and her friends backed her up so there was nothing I could do.

So far as I am aware no pics were obtained and in the end the story was shared between The Sun and the Daily Star.

From The Sun and the Daily Star on Wednesday, December 23, 1998.