A 67-year-old woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for killing her five-year-old stepdaughter by submerging her in a scalding bath in 1978. Janice Nix was found guilty of the manslaughter of Andrea Bernard and of assaulting and ill-treating Andrea's older brother, Desmond, between 1975 and 1978.
The Incident and Its Aftermath
Andrea died after nearly six weeks in hospital, having suffered severe burns to half of her body. At the time, the coroner concluded that her death was accidental, resulting from sepsis caused by the burns. However, in 2022, Desmond, who was eight years old at the time of the incident, told police he believed Nix was responsible, triggering a criminal investigation.
Victim Impact Statement
In a harrowing victim impact statement read in court, Desmond said: 'The last memory I have of my sister's life are my sister's piercing screams and lying about her death. Your actions robbed my sister of her life and stole from me the opportunity to grow up with her. I was broken and I have never been the same since.'
Prosecution Evidence
The prosecution argued that Nix must have caused parts of Andrea's body to be submerged. A burns expert told the court that a child immersed in water hot enough to cause such injuries would immediately try to stand up to escape, not voluntarily sit down or stay in that position.
At the time, Desmond had told everyone it was an accident because Nix, who repeatedly physically abused him, promised never to hit him again if he kept it a secret. Only as an adult did he share the story with his trusted circle.
Desmond's Account
In a statement, Desmond said Nix regularly beat him and Andrea when she thought they were being naughty. On the day of the incident, Andrea was in trouble and Nix had not allowed her to go to school. However, Andrea managed to leave the house and met her brother. Upon returning home, Nix began shouting at and hitting Andrea before running a bath and calling her to get in.
Desmond went to his bedroom, which was directly next to the bathroom. Although he could not see what was happening, he heard Andrea screaming 'it's hot it's hot' repeatedly, with Nix shouting at her to get in. Suddenly the screaming stopped, and Nix called him into the bathroom, where he found Andrea limp.
Investigation and Trial
After extensive enquiries, a 16-page coroner's report proved vital. It included a description of Andrea's injuries and the treatment she received in hospital, as well as a statement from Nix taken shortly after Andrea's death.
When questioned in 2022, Nix provided a significantly different account of the events of that day. She also claimed that the coroner found Andrea died as a result of a tragic accident caused by a malfunctioning boiler that overheated the bath water. However, there was no mention of this in the report. When asked to explain these major discrepancies, Nix made no comment and said it had been a traumatic time in her life. She consistently denied any involvement in abusing Desmond or Andrea's death and claimed Desmond had provided an inaccurate account.
Sentence
Nix, of Rodenhurst Road, SW4, was found guilty at Isleworth Crown Court in May and handed a 12-year prison sentence. She was also sentenced to 15 months for offences against Desmond, to run concurrently.
Police Statement
Detective Inspector Louise Caveen, from the Met's Cold Case Homicide team, said: 'Desmond's words in court made clear how profound an impact Andrea's death has had on his whole life. Nothing can ever change what happened that day, but we know how important it is to him that Janice has finally faced justice and is now being held responsible for taking his sister's life. His courage in coming forward led to our investigation being opened, and his powerful evidence was vital in ensuring the jury saw through Janice's lies. I hope this case demonstrates that the Met will always review any new evidence that is brought to us, no matter the length of time that has passed. We will use all of the resources we have available to seek out the truth and pursue new opportunities to get justice for all victims who have been unlawfully killed.'
