Elaine Clarke, 49, of Garden Terrace, Blackpool, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court after previously admitting to the gross negligence manslaughter of her daughter Debbie Leitch, who had Down’s Syndrome.
Around 10.40pm on August 29, 2019, paramedics attended Garden Terrace after a family member sadly found Debbie, 24, dead in her bedroom.
Ambulance crews found faeces on the floor, as well as maggots crawling in her room. They spoke with Clarke, who said she knew Debbie had died around 8pm, but waited before calling 999.
Police were called, with four people, including Clarke, arrested at the time and later bailed while enquiries continued.
A major investigation was launched and found Debbie and Clarke had moved to Blackpool in 2016.
Two years later Debbie was diagnosed with eczema and Norwegian Scabies. She received treatment for this as an outpatient and was prescribed medication. Instructions were given to her mother as to how and when she needed to administer this.
In 2019, relatives visiting the address noticed Debbie had lost weight and her skin condition had worsened. A family member visited the address in July 2019 and went into Debbie’s room. She later told police the room smelt of filth, with plates of mouldy food on the floor. Debbie’s skin condition had severely worsened, with the relative urging Clarke to take Debbie to the doctors. She later phoned Clarke, who claimed Debbie was eating, talking and had had a shower. A few weeks later the same family member returned to the property. Debbie’s condition had worsened again, with the relative later telling police she appeared ‘half-dead’. She told officers Debbie’s room resembled a horror movie, with the smell unbearable, including plates of rotting food and bags of dirty, soiled clothes. She was so concerned she phoned Debbie’s doctor, as well as social services, for support.
A doctor later made a home visit and said he felt Clarke was supportive and had no safeguarding concerns. Debbie was sat on the sofa and had been showered. Clarke dismissed the concerns raised, with the doctor prescribing further medication for Debbie’s skin. The doctor subsequently made unsuccessful attempts to visit Debbie and speak with her mother, who made no attempts herself to seek further medical intervention.
Social services attended the address twice on July 29, 2019, but were prevented from entering the property by a relative of Debbie’s. On August 1, 2019, social services returned. Debbie was downstairs, waiting, while the worker visited her bedroom and noted nothing of concern.
Other visitors to the address in the weeks before Debbie’s death asked after her, but Clarke said she wasn’t well and they couldn’t see her. The visitors said they could hear Debbie crying and calling for mummy. She was found dead days later.
A Home Office post-mortem examination gave Debbie’s cause of death as severe emaciation and neglect with an extensive scabies skin infection. This left Debbie in such pain she was often heard crying and pleading for help. The pathologist found Debbie weighed 23kg – 3st 10lbs – at the time of her death. Mites were found on her body and clothing, with faeces and urine across her body. Her skin and body had wasted away, with her bones visible.
Clarke later received a summons to appear at court to answer the charge of gross negligence manslaughter, pleading guilty.
A man was also given a summons for the offence of allowing or causing the death of a vulnerable adult but, following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, it was decided he would no longer face trial, with no evidence offered. The remaining people were released without charge.
Clarke was jailed for nine years and seven months.
