Au Pair Flies Home After Judge Bars Efforts to Profit From Case

Former au pair Louise Woodward, convicted of killing a baby in her care, flew home to England on Wednesday, hours after a federal judge temporarily barred her from spending money earned from selling her story.

Traveling the 15 miles from suburban Marblehead with police escort, Woodward arrived at Logan International Airport, where seven state troopers escorted her to a private room to wait for her flight. The plane took off for London shortly before 6 p.m.

The 20-year-old did not speak as she hurried past passengers and reporters.

Defense lawyer Andrew Good bade his client an emotional goodbye at the airport.

“She said she would miss us, and she’s obviously excited to go home,” Good said.

Shortly before Woodward prepared to leave, a federal judge temporarily barred her from spending any money she makes from selling her story.

U.S. District Judge William Young ordered her to notify the court and the family of the dead baby, 8-month-old Matthew Eappen, of any contract she signs to profit from her sensational case. He also set a trial date of Oct. 5 in the Eappen family’s wrongful death lawsuit.

Legal experts said any civil judgment would be tough to enforce in England. The United States and Great Britain have no treaty that would require British authorities to enforce any restrictions against her.

A jury convicted Woodward of second-degree murder, but Middlesex Superior Court Judge Hiller B. Zobel set aside that verdict last November and sentenced her on a charge of manslaughter to time served: 279 days. The state Supreme Judicial Court ruled Tuesday that Zobel acted within his power.

It seems no one, not even the man who prosecuted her, wanted to keep her here any longer.

“I want her out of this country,” Middlesex Dist. Atty. Tom Reilly said.

Woodward was expected to fly with her father, Gary, by private plane from London’s Heathrow Airport to Manchester and then home by car to Elton.