A ‘lazy’ mother who starved her daughter with Down’s Syndrome to death in a room covered with soiled nappies and takeaway boxes has been jailed for ten years.
49-year-old Elaine Clark bought herself shoes and bags while her 24-year-old daughter Debbie Leitch was kept in a dark and filthy bedroom that ‘smelled of death.’
Leitch’s face was “completely encrusted with scabs and thickened skin, such that she was no longer recognizable as being a young female,” emergency services said.
According to the post mortem examination, the cause of death was “severe emaciation and neglect with extensive and severe scabies skin infection.”
John Harrison QC, prosecuting, said: “Debbie was extremely emaciated with a severe rash to the scalp, the face and the soles of the feet. The jumper and trousers worn by the deceased were filthy and mites were found crawling on them. A urine soiled nappy was found inside her trousers.
“A live maggot was found next to the body. As her clothing was cut away from her body, bits of skin came away with it as it had adhered to her body.”
“Mites were found crawling all over her back,” Harrison QC continued. “The trousers were covered in liquid feces.
“Debbie’s hair was falling out due to the scabies rash. Her face was covered with the rash.
“Debbie’s ribs were visible through the skin. All of her limbs were wasted and the rash was widespread on them. Her buttocks were completely covered in feces which extended down to the thighs.
“As the body was examined, large areas of skin fell away from the body. More than 30 per cent of her skin was covered in the rash, which was more severe in some parts of the body than others.”
Clarke, who had received benefit payments every week to care for her daughter, pleaded guilty to gross negligence and was jailed for nine years and seven months.
She must serve at least two thirds of her sentence before she’s eligible for release.
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