New claims against missing boy's father

Jayden Headley

Jayden Headley, the 6-year-old boy kidnapped in Hamilton in August, was not allowed to mention his mother's name or have a photo of her while staying at his father's house, says a relative.

That is the latest accusation levelled at Chris Jones, Jayden's father, as the custody dispute between him and the boy's mother, Kay Skelton, spills out of the courtroom and into the public arena.

The allegation came from a relative of Kay Skelton.

"Mr Jones is not even named on his [Jayden's] birth certificate and never once paid child support after his birth," the relative said.

It was also suggested that Mr Jones had not been granted full custody of Jayden at the time of his disappearance.

Skelton, 35, was jailed last week for contempt of court after failing to disclose the whereabouts of her son.

Details of the case have been suppressed.

Jayden's grandfather, Dick Headley, 68, disappeared with the boy in August after a woman took Jayden from outside the Hamilton Public Library.

The relative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Skelton had not heard from Jayden or Mr Headley since she was sent to prison.

"Kay doesn't know where they are," she said, and neither did Mr Headley's wife, Wendy.

Police also don't know where the pair are and have charged Skelton with kidnapping her own son.

An arrest warrant has been issued against Mr Headley and he too faces a charge of kidnapping.

Yesterday Mr Jones, 33, said he had never paid maintenance because that was how the maternal side of the family had wanted things.

"I offered numerous times through my lawyer.

"It's all part of the manipulation.

"By me not paying any money it was her way of accepting that I was not entitled to a relationship."

He denied suggestions that he was neither the fulltime legal guardian nor biological father of the boy.

"I was DNA-tested, so that's the proof."

Mr Jones said he had been granted full custody - "they now call it day-to-day care" - although he admitted another family court hearing was pending when his son was kidnapped.

It was not true that he refused to let Jayden mention his mother while in his care, or that photos of her were not allowed in the house.

"There's one at home right now."