A woman with learning disabilities was imprisoned and forced to work for a mother of ten for over 25 years in what a judge described as a 'Dickensian' ordeal. The victim, now in her 40s, was 16 when she moved into Amanda Wixon's home in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, in the mid-1990s for a weekend stay but remained until police discovered her in 2021.
Gloucester Crown Court heard that the woman lived off scraps, could not leave the house, and was forced to wash secretly at night. She was regularly beaten by Wixon, 56, had washing-up liquid squirted down her throat, bleach splashed on her face, and her head was repeatedly shaved against her will. The house was overcrowded with mould on walls, plaster falling off, and rubbish in the garden.
On Wednesday, Wixon was found guilty of false imprisonment, forced labour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Prosecutor Sam Jones said the victim had 'disappeared into a black hole' with no medical or dental records for 20 years. Social services were involved in the late 1990s but had no contact since.
Neighbours described the woman as 'looking like something out of a concentration camp' and 'skin and bone', with one seeing her hit with a broom. Police bodycam footage showed her thin, timid, and unwashed, with a bruise she attributed to Wixon. She told officers: 'I don't want to be here. I don't feel safe. Mandy hits me all the time.'
Since her rescue, the woman has lived with a foster family, attended college, and travelled abroad. She suffers nightmares and a constant urge to clean. Wixon, who had no previous convictions, claimed she took the woman in to help her. Defence barrister Edward Hollingsworth argued the case was a 'tale of fantasy and lies', noting the house was squalid for all occupants. Judge Lawrie will sentence Wixon in March.
