A couple who subjected a vulnerable 28-year-old man to prolonged physical and emotional abuse before his death have each been jailed for life.
Kenneth Newton, 57, and his partner Melanie James, 63, both from Birmingham, were sentenced at Stafford Crown Court after being convicted of murdering Newton’s stepbrother, Rubin Blount.
Both were ordered to serve a minimum of 21 years in prison.
Rubin arrived at hospital severely malnourished
Rubin was taken to hospital in November 2022 after becoming seriously unwell.
He weighed just 40kg and was severely dehydrated and malnourished.
Medical examinations revealed extensive pneumonia and a severe infection, along with fractures to his ribs and spine and numerous burns, lesions and grazes.
Rubin had suffered 50 rib fractures. Staffordshire Police said 47 of those injuries had been inflicted during the weeks leading up to his death.
He suffered a cardiac arrest after arriving at hospital and died three days later.
Police uncover prolonged campaign of abuse
Staffordshire Police said Newton and James had been entrusted with caring for Rubin but instead subjected him to sustained physical and emotional abuse.
Investigators found he had been threatened, verbally abused and physically assaulted.
The pair mocked Rubin’s appearance and intellect, forced him to remain standing for prolonged periods and failed to obtain medical treatment for him despite his deteriorating condition.
Police investigating his death also discovered mould and what officers described as “abhorrent conditions” inside his bedroom.
Mother pays tribute to her son
Rubin’s mother, Jeanette Blount, paid tribute to her son following the case.
“He was a son, a brother and friend and a person who was deeply loved by so many people,” she said.
Detective Chief Inspector Ian Fitzgerald, from Staffordshire Police, said the level of suffering uncovered by detectives during the investigation had been “difficult to comprehend”.
He added that his thoughts remained with everyone who knew and loved Rubin.
