Kaylea Titford: Father jailed for more than 7 years over obese daughter’s manslaughter – as mother gets 6 years
The parents of a disabled girl who died after becoming morbidly obese have been jailed over her manslaughter.
Kaylea Titford had just turned 16 when she died in her home in Powys, weighing more than 22st.
At Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, her father Alun Titford, 45, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison.
As it happened – live updates from court as Kaylea Titford’s parents jailed
He had been found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter after a three-week trial in Mold Crown Court in February, having previously denied the charge.
Sarah Lloyd-Jones, 39, Kaylea’s mother, earlier admitted manslaughter and was jailed for six years.
Handing down his sentence, Mr Justice Griffiths said: “Kaylea Titford made a success of her life.”
Prosecutors said Kaylea was living in conditions ‘not fit for any animal’
He added that she was an “accomplished wheelchair user who was competitive in national wheelchair sports”.
“Everything she could do for herself she did, but she died just after her 16th birthday,” he added.
Mr Justice Griffiths said Lloyd-Jones and Titford had “caused her death by shocking and prolonged neglect over lockdown”.
He added that it was “obvious that she [Lloyd-Jones] was failing” and that Titford had “ignored…the evidence of his own eyes and nose that [Kaylea] was not getting the care she needed”.
“His long hours at work are not an excuse, he liked working, he did not like helping”, adding that Titford “could and should have done more to help, and ask others for help”.
‘Horrifying case’
Mr Justice Griffiths said it was Lloyd-Jones’s “duty” to accept help but “she did not take up” any of the offers from external agencies.
This was not a lapse, concluded Mr Justice Griffiths, it was a “long and sustained period of criminal negligence”.
There was “no attempt to control her [Kaylea’s] diet, she could only eat what she was given”.
“It was perfectly obvious… that Kaylea was morbidly and dangerously obese,” he added.
He said it was “a horrifying case, a case of sustained neglect, leading to the death of a completely dependent… disabled child at the hands of her own parents”.
“Both defendants completely neglected to get the help that Kaylea needed, and sometimes it was ignored when offered.”
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‘Rotting flesh’
Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police attended Kaylea’s home on 10 October 2020, after her family reported her death.
Kaylea had lived with hydrocephalus and spinabifida since birth but had received mainstream education and is said to have been a talented wheelchair basketball player.
Police say the conditions in which they found Kaylea were “abhorrent”, indicating “shocking neglect over a prolonged period of time, both environmentally and physically”.
‘Difficult to deal with’
The police investigation involved the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as well as medical, dental and environmental experts.
Iwan Jenkins, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS Cymru Wales, told Sky News that “cases of this nature are difficult to deal with”.
Iwan Jenkins, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Cymru Wales.
“They involve proving that someone has neglected to undertake their duty which is something they haven’t done rather than proving they have done something,” he added.
“The level of that neglect was important in this particular case, establishing the length of time, the deterioration that had happened which led to the untimely death of Kaylea.
“No child should have to face the horror of what she had to go through during her time prior to her death.
Mr Jenkins added that cases of a similar nature to Kaylea’s “would upset anybody”.
“They are difficult cases to deal with, and when you see a child who is lost as a result of a failure of someone to care for them, that obviously is distressing and is in need of professional and committed approaches from those responsible within the criminal justice system, to ensure that justice is done for those who suffer at the hands of people who should know better.”
A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.
Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.
She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.
A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.
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Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.
“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.
“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”
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The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.
In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.
“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”
Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.
A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.
Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.
The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.
One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.
Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.
Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.
Mohamed al Fayed. Pic: AP
The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”
The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.
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Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.
The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.
A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.
“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”
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Bianca Gascoigne speaks about Al Fayed abuse
The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.
One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.
Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.
UK
Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman
Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.
Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.
MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.
But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.
He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.
Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.
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“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.
“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.
“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.
“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”
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Review into assisted dying costs
Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.
She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.
“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.
Read more on this story:
‘Fix care before assisted dying legislation’
Why assisted dying is controversial – and where it’s already legal
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.
The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters
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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.
Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.
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Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill
The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.
MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.
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