In the first-ever televised court hearing in Wales, a mother and father were jailed for the murder of their 16-year-old disabled daughter. Kaylea Titford, who had spina bifida, was discovered dead in October 2020 at her home in Newtown, Powys, after her parents had allowed her to become morbidly obese. Sarah Lloyd-Jones, her mother, was sentenced to six years in prison, while Alun Titford was sentenced to seven years and six months. Last year, Sarah Lloyd-Jones, 39, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence. Alun Titford denied the charges but was found guilty last month after a trial. The teen weighed 22st 13lb and had a BMI of 70 at the time of her death, and her body was discovered inside her bedroom in "unfit for any animal" conditions. Titford's trial at Mold Crown Court in North Wales saw evidence of how the teenager, who was wheelchair-bound and dependent on others for care, was left to lie in soiled clothing, filthy bed linen, and puppy training pads. She died as a result of ulcer inflammation and infection caused by obesity and immobility. On Wednesday, the sentencing remarks were broadcast live on television for the first time in Wales since the law was changed last year to allow cameras into criminal courts. Kaylea's death was caused by "shocking and prolonged neglect over lockdown," according to Mr Justice Griffiths. He said he found it "impossible to say that more parent was to blame than the other". Kaylea's care had been subpar for a long time, according to Justice Griffiths. "It had been a long and consistent period of criminal neglect."
Kaylea Titford died in deplorable conditions because her parents were imprisoned for neglect.
Pictures from a 22-stone teenager's death bedroom have revealed the "squalor and degradation" she lived in. Kaylea Titford, who weighed 22 stone and 13 lbs and had a body mass index of 70, was discovered dead in her home in Newtown, Powys, Wales, in October 2020, lying in soiled clothing and bed linen. Her parents were sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for the murder of their disabled 16-year-old daughter in Wales' first-ever televised court hearing. Sarah Lloyd-Jones, her mother, was sentenced to six years in prison, while Alun Titford was sentenced to seven years and six months. Last year, Sarah Lloyd-Jones, 39, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence. Alun Titford denied the charges but was found guilty last month after a trial. On Wednesday, the sentencing remarks were broadcast live on television for the first time in Wales since the law was changed last year to allow cameras into criminal courts. Kaylea's death was caused by "shocking and prolonged neglect over lockdown," according to Mr Justice Griffiths. He said he found it "impossible to say that more parent was to blame than the other". Kaylea's care had been subpar for a long time, according to Justice Griffiths. "It had been a long and consistent period of criminal neglect." David Elias KC, defending, said in his closing speech at Mold Crown Court last month that the jury had heard evidence that there should have been more support for Kaylea, who had spina bifida and used a wheelchair. Elias said Kaylea's mother, who worked as a carer from 2018, was responsible for most of her care after she reached puberty, as Titford said he stepped back because he wasn't "comfortable". He said Titford was "reasonable" to believe his partner was caring for Kaylea and was aware of the dangers of pressure sores on her legs. "It was Sarah who was dealing with it, and that's not passing the buck; that's what was going on," Elias explained. Titford, he said, was a full-time removal worker who worked 40 to 50 hours a week for 15 days straight before Kaylea died." Here is a defendant who worked throughout, who we say quite rightly, because he was entitled to, because of everything she had done so well, truly believed until the day Kaylea was found that Sarah Lloyd-Jones was doing the right thing, giving the right treatment and didn't know she wasn't."
The jury was shown images and body-worn footage of Kaylea’s living conditions, described by the prosecution as “squalor and degradation”. However, Elias told jurors to “divorce” themselves from the “graphic nature” of the images. "The horror at the end of the case is not necessarily the benchmark for guilt or innocence," he said." It's revolting, it's horrific, there's no doubt about it, but you have to look at how it got to that point, and more importantly, whether you're sure Alun Titford, excluding Sarah Lloyd-Jones because she admits she was, is in any way criminally liable for the situation we know occurred."
By Covenantblog
