A couple who subjected a vulnerable 28-year-old man to “deliberate cruelty” while under their care have been sentenced to life imprisonment for his murder.
Rubin Blount, who weighed just 6st at the time of his death in November 2022, was made to stand for extended periods and scavenge from bins by his stepbrother Kenneth Newton and Newton's partner Melanie James at a property in Tamworth, Staffordshire, Stafford Crown Court heard.
Newton, 58, and James, 64, both from Birmingham, recorded themselves taunting and mistreating the victim. They were found guilty of Mr Blount's murder by a jury at the same court in July this year.
Sentencing and Reaction
As Newton and James were led away on Friday, a member of the public in the courtroom yelled “rot in hell”, following Mrs Justice Jefford sentencing them each to a minimum of 21 years.
The judge stated that both Newton and James had violated a position of trust and demonstrated an “abject failure to help him when he was in pain and suffering”.
The court was told that Mr Blount, who was severely dehydrated and malnourished, was rushed to hospital after falling ill and suffered a cardiac arrest upon arrival. He was revived but remained in a critical state until his death three days later on November 30, 2022.
Injuries and Living Conditions
While in hospital, doctors discovered that Mr Blount had extensive pneumonia, a severe infection, fractures to his ribs and spine, and burns, lesions and grazes.
Staffordshire Police's investigation revealed that Mr Blount had been subjected to ridicule over his appearance and intellect by Newton and James, with 50 rib fractures discovered, 47 of which were inflicted in the weeks leading up to his demise. The police also uncovered “abhorrent” living conditions and mould in his bedroom.
During the sentencing hearing on Friday, prosecution counsel Jennifer Josephs KC stated that the victim must have endured “extreme pain and suffering” prior to his death. She described Mr Blount, who was significantly mentally impaired, as particularly vulnerable, and highlighted the defendants' “cruel” treatment of him through videos presented to the jury.
Ms Josephs detailed how Mr Blount was left to lie in his own urine, forced to “stand to attention” and eat from bins. She further accused the pair of denying the victim medical assistance until he was “beyond help”.
Victim Impact and Defence
James, dressed in a white T-shirt, a grey jacket and blue jeans in the dock, broke down in tears as Ms Josephs recounted the months-long abuse and violence inflicted on Mr Blount. She declared: “Mr Blount's death was the culmination of a prolonged course of conduct perpetrated against a man who was unable to speak for himself.”
Newton, attired in a dark grey jumper and light grey Nike tracksuit bottoms in the dock, leaned forward and kept his head lowered. In a victim impact statement read out in court by Ms Josephs, Jeanette Blount, mother of Mr Blount, expressed that her son was vulnerable and deserved “compassion, dignity and a chance to live his life”.
She stated: “We all believed they loved him and would take care of him. We had no reason to believe otherwise. I never believed there would come a time Rubin would no longer be here. He was more than a victim. He was a son, a brother and friend and a person who was deeply loved by so many people – not just us, but people who knew him in the community. His life mattered and his loss has been felt by us all. No sentence can bring back our son or take away the trauma that we now carry. The grief is constant. He deserved compassion, dignity and a chance to live his life. His future was stolen and our family must now live with a lifetime of heartbreak.”
Defending James, Rebecca Wade KC implored Mrs Justice Jefford to provide the female defendant with “light at the end of the tunnel and something to work towards”, acknowledging she wouldn't be released until she was at least 80.
She said: “No one could fail to be moved by the emotive nature of the trial and what Rubin Blount went through in his life. No one could fail to be disgusted by Melanie James' actions towards this vulnerable man. She is a woman who has had a difficult life of her own. A phrase used by me during my closing speech to the jury was walk a mile in my shoes, and I repeat those words now. Her background doesn't excuse what she has done, but recognition of it goes some way to provide some sort of explanation for it. A common phrase is 'the abused becomes the abuser' and that is something that may well be true in Melanie James' case. There is some evidence to show that, at one point, she did care for Rubin and did love him, and him her. Something shifted and we would submit that such a shift was her ability to cope with the stresses and strains of life and that was much to Rubin's detriment.”
Mark Heywood KC, defending Newton, suggested that Mr Blount was a “challenging” individual to look after, through no fault of his own. He stated: “This is a case where only really serious harm was intended, not death. There was evidence in the trial that Mr Blount had been a challenging person to care for, not through any fault of his own. This relationship did start off well and with good hopes, it was hoped it would prove a sanctuary for Rubin. What caused it to deteriorate in the manner that led to his death can't be dealt with as simply as saying he was financially advantageous for them, or that he became a burden. He must have been, with the best will in the world, a demanding young man. They were ill equipped.”
Judge's Remarks
While delivering the sentence, Mrs Justice Jefford noted that Mr Blount had “more or less disappeared from view” and hadn't left the house for approximately two months prior to his demise. The judge highlighted a series of videos made by the defendants on November 2, 2022, which she said illustrated their treatment of Mr Blount.
She stated: “(They) show Rubin emaciated, gaunt, stooped and broken, standing in the doorway. You accused him of feigning his poor physical state, you ridiculed him, you hurled abuse at him... you laughed and seemed to find this abhorrent behaviour amusing. He was unable to defend himself or even walk away from you. The first 25 rib fractures were inflicted before or shortly after this recording was made.”
She continued: “It would have been obvious that punching him would cause really serious harm and yet you did it again. The jury were sure, as am I, that you did this together and that whether one or both of you were assaulting him, the other was encouraging it.”
The judge pointed out that Mr Blount would have been in “significant and debilitating pain”, adding: “You did nothing for him. In fact, you assaulted him repeatedly. You did nothing to help him.”
The judge noted that James had told “wicked lies” about Mr Blount to the council, social services and others. She stated: “You claimed he was becoming aggressive, threatening and even violent and that he was searching online for child pornography. These were wicked lies, but you were sufficiently convincing to make people think you were a victim. Why you did this is unclear... it may have been to cover what was really happening in the home.”
As the judge delivered her sentence, murmurs of “yes” could be heard from the public gallery.
