A man from Nottingham is mounting a legal challenge to gain parental rights over a child he fathered with a lesbian couple.
Twenty-four year old Stacey Cassin and her partner Kate, 26, advertised for a sperm donor to avoid the cost of formal hospital IVF treatment less than two years ago.
In response, 30 year-old Mark Hartill offered to contribute and, after six attempts of conceiving, a 7lb 10oz girl was born earlier this year.
Accordng to the women, Hartill made a vebal agreement not to want regular access - but he is now requesting exactly that.
Today, the women have vowed to try and block any involvement he wants with his own child.
"The agreement was that Mark would be able to see the baby after the
birth but he would not be a parent," they told The Sun.
"Mark came to see her three times after the birth and has decided he wants to
be a daddy, which breaks the verbal agreement we had."
She added: "Now Mark's family have been getting involved and his mum has sent
us emails backing up her son.
"We are sure right is on our side. Our girl is a beautiful baby who will be
brought up in a loving, caring family."
But Hartill is equally determined. The musician and Sunday league footballer, said: "It’s a private matter only a few
members of my family know about. I don’t want to say anything that could
prejudice the case.”
Last month, a lesbian mother lost a custody battle with a gay man who had fathered her two children.
