Couple sentenced for 'ghosting' their vulnerable adult daughter
A couple described as the 'mother from hell' and her husband have been jailed for eight years after allowing their reclusive adult daughter to starve to death in what a judge called 'utter neglect'. Bernita and Alan Davies, both 60, failed to seek medical help for their 32-year-old daughter Steffie, who was found skeletal with deep infected bed sores when paramedics were called to their Wrexham home in May 2023.
Terrible conditions discovered
Mold Crown Court heard that Steffie Davies had been bedbound for up to twelve months before her death, suffering from anxiety but with no diagnosed mental or physical health problems. Her body weighed less than six stones when discovered, covered in fungal infections and pressure ulcers so severe some were down to the bone. Paramedics reported an 'awful smell' in her ground floor bedroom, with lice in her matted hair and flies around her mouth.
One experienced paramedic said he was 'shocked' when pulling back the duvet, immediately recognizing Steffie had been dead for 'several' days. The room was described as 'appalling' compared to other parts of the property, with the judge noting the contrast between the couple's 'well-kept garden and neatly mown lawn' and Steffie's 'filthy bedroom'.
Parents' false claims exposed
Bodycam footage showed Bernita Davies telling police her daughter had refused hospital treatment and threatened her when they tried to seek help. She claimed to have changed bedsheets around 36 hours before calling 999 and said Steffie had eaten a meal shortly before her death. However, Mrs Justice Mary Stacey dismissed these as 'cynical' lies designed to absolve herself of blame.
The judge stated there was 'no evidence of her ever having been shown love or affection' and that instead Steffie was 'verbally abused' and shown 'complete indifference to her suffering'. Text messages recovered from Steffie's phone revealed she had been unable to get out of bed as early as August 2022, with requests for vitamins and protein shakes going unanswered by her mother, a former supermarket supervisor.
Systematic neglect revealed
Pathologist Dr Brian Johnson concluded Steffie died from sepsis caused by infected pressure sores combined with extreme malnutrition. Another medical expert estimated the ulcers had been left untreated for at least six weeks, causing considerable pain that would have required assistance with basic functions like drinking, eating, and washing.
Neighbors described Bernita Davies as constantly shouting at her children when they were young, with one recalling the last time they saw Steffie in 2016 when her mother called her 'stupid' in the street. Steffie's younger brother told officers that by Christmas 2022, she was too weak to open a box of chocolates he had bought her.
Court hears emotional impact
In a 999 call played to the court, Bernita Davies tearfully described finding her daughter 'dead...wet and cold' with 'eyes all black and slightly open'. Steffie's older sister, who chose to remain anonymous, said in a statement that she had 'sleepless nights thinking about what my sister went through' and questioned why her parents didn't seek help.
'With the right support and encouragement Steffie could have done so much with her life,' her sister said. 'Instead she was left to fade into insignificance in the most inhumane way possible.' The sister noted that Steffie 'always listened to mum and dad and did what she was told', contradicting claims she refused medical intervention.
Sentencing and aftermath
Mrs Justice Stacey told the couple their actions proved they had neither 'loved or cared' for their daughter. 'As she lay in extreme pain, wasting away and dying, you both carried on with your lives,' the judge said, noting they went to work and fed themselves from a 'well-stocked fridge-freezer' while Steffie starved in the next room.
The Davies initially faced gross negligence manslaughter charges but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult. Defense lawyers described clients who felt 'overwhelmed' and would live with their failure, with Alan Davies described as a 'bad father' who was genuinely remorseful. Wrexham Council confirmed Steffie was 'not known' to social services at the time of her death, with a review now being considered.
