Decades of Captivity in Squalid 'Prison Cell' Room
A vulnerable woman with learning difficulties was kept as a 'house slave' for more than two decades in what police have described as a filthy 'prison cell' room within a squalid Gloucestershire property. The victim, now in her mid-40s, was just 16 years old when she moved into the overcrowded Tewkesbury home of mother-of-ten Amanda Wixon in 1995, remaining there until police intervention in 2021.
Dickensian Campaign of Abuse and Control
Gloucester Crown Court heard harrowing details of the systematic abuse inflicted upon the woman during her 26-year captivity. The prosecution described a 'Dickensian quality' to the case, with the victim subjected to regular beatings, including being struck with a broom handle so violently that it knocked out her teeth. Further degrading treatment included:
- Washing-up liquid being squirted down her throat
- Bleach splashed on her face
- Her head being repeatedly shaved against her will
- Being limited to food scraps while living in starvation conditions
- Forced to wash secretly at night without proper facilities
The court was told the woman was essentially imprisoned, unable to leave the property and living in constant fear of her captor.
Squalid Living Conditions Revealed
Police photographs released after Wixon's conviction reveal the appalling conditions in which the victim was forced to exist. The images show:
- An undecorated, cluttered bedroom described as a prison cell
- Unpainted walls and dirty bedding
- Mould growing on walls throughout the overcrowded family home
- Plaster hanging from ceilings and walls
- Rubbish accumulating in the back garden
Bodyworn footage from police showed the victim appearing thin, timid, unwashed, and fearful, with visible bruising she attributed to Wixon's assaults.
System Failure and Delayed Justice
The court heard that social services had been involved with the family in the late 1990s, but there were no records of any contact since that period. Prosecuting barrister Sam Jones revealed the victim had no medical or dental records and hadn't seen a doctor in two decades, highlighting how completely she had disappeared from official systems.
The abuse only came to light when one of Wixon's own sons reported his concerns to police in 2021, leading to a house visit that March. During that visit, the terrified victim told officers: 'I don't want to be here. I don't feel safe. Mandy hits me all the time. I don't like it. I haven't washed for years. She doesn't let me.'
Trial Outcome and Sentencing
Amanda Wixon, 56, denied charges of false imprisonment, two counts of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, and four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. A jury at Gloucester Crown Court acquitted her of one assault charge but found her guilty of all other charges.
Defence barrister Edward Hollingsworth described the prosecution case as a 'tale of fantasy and lies' and suggested there was a 'child-like fantasy' to the woman's allegations. He noted that Wixon's other children were not vaccinated, did not attend school, and had rotting teeth and head lice, attempting to contextualise the household conditions.
Wixon was released on conditional bail following the verdicts and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12. Outside court, she refused to apologise to reporters when questioned about her crimes.
Judge Ian Lawrie KC, who presided over the case, emphasised the extraordinary nature of the abuse, noting how the victim had left her own dysfunctional family only to enter another horrific situation that went undetected for decades despite occasional social services involvement in earlier years.
