UK couple jailed for murder after disabled teenage daughter dies

London:

A British couple were jailed on Wednesday for murder following the death of their disabled 16-year-old daughter who was morbidly obese in the time of Covid.

Kaylia Titford was found dead at her home in Wales in October 2020, weighing 321 pounds (146 kg) and lying on a soiled toilet pad meant for house-training puppies.

The trial highlighted that Kaylee had skipped school when Wales and the rest of the UK entered the first coronavirus lockdown in March 2020, but social services failed to check on her.

She suffered “a long and sustained period of criminal neglect” at the hands of her parents, in what Judge Martin Griffiths called a “horrific case” at Swansea Crown Court.

His father, Alun Titford, a 45-year-old clearance worker, was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence after pleading not guilty. He was jailed for seven years and six months.

His mother, Sarah Lloyd-Jones, 40, pleaded guilty to the charge last year. He was imprisoned for six years.

The judge found that Kaylia, who had hydrocephalus and spina bifida, had passed out in her wheelchair, but the parents ignored the stench because her body was “decomposing alive”.

Spina bifida is a condition that develops in the womb, causing spinal cord and nerve problems. It can also cause hydrocephalus, or a build-up of fluid on the brain.

Griffiths said, “By the time of her death, she was lying in her filth, surrounded by the flies that were bothering her and the insects that had eaten her.”

– ‘leave no stone unturned’ –

Titford told the court that she had done nothing to look after her daughter, adding “I’m lazy”. He said that he had stopped taking care of her physically after she reached puberty.

Despite pleading not guilty, he later admitted in court that he was equally responsible for his daughter’s death.

Hours before her death, Titford heard her daughter screaming, but she only responded to text his mobile phone demanding that he stop.

“He didn’t go and see what the issue was or get whatever help he needed,” the judge said. “He was left to die alone.”

Kaylia previously attended a mainstream school until the coronavirus lockdown. Police said she was a talented wheelchair basketball player and was popular among her peers.

The case exposed the lack of oversight by the authorities, both before and during the lockdown. Kaylia was not seen by social workers for years, and she stopped going to dieticians and physiotherapists.

The contents of the case were deemed so disturbing by the judge that he exempted jurors from serving again for 10 years.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in Wales said, “People may be asking how our society can allow any child to suffer without intervention to prevent such a tragedy.”

The charity said authorities were reviewing the case, and urged them to “leave no stone unturned” to ensure that other children do not face the same fate.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)