Parents Sentenced to Eight Years for Causing Death of Vulnerable Daughter
A couple described as showing "complete indifference" to their daughter's suffering have each been jailed for eight years after causing the death of their vulnerable 32-year-old daughter through neglect.
Skeletal Condition and Extreme Neglect
Steffie Davies, who rarely left the family home in Wrexham, North Wales due to anxiety, was found dead in an "almost skeletal" state by paramedics called to the property in May 2023. The two-day hearing at Mold Crown Court heard she weighed just five stone nine pounds at the time of her death, despite being five foot seven inches tall.
Mrs Justice Stacey, sentencing Alan and Bernita Davies, both 60, on Thursday, said: "There is no evidence of her ever having been shown love and affection. Instead, she was verbally abused by you and you showed complete indifference to her suffering."
Disturbing Details of Neglect
The court heard Ms Davies was found with dirty, matted hair, suspected fungal infections on her skin, pressure sores, and joint contractures that would have prevented her from eating or drinking without assistance. Photos of her injuries were ruled too distressing to be shown in court.
Alan Davies, a factory worker, told paramedics his daughter had not been out of bed for 12 months before she died. Her younger brother revealed that in December 2022, Ms Davies was bed-bound and too weak to open a box of chocolates he had given her for Christmas.
Parental Indifference and Victim-Blaming
Mrs Justice Stacey described how the parents continued with their normal lives while their daughter wasted away: "As she lay in extreme pain, wasting away and dying in the front room of the house, you both carried on with your lives, going to work, feeding yourselves from the well-stocked fridge-freezer and larder, while she lay starving and unable to feed herself in the next door room. You simply ignored her."
The judge noted text messages showed Bernita Davies "ghosting" her daughter, with no reply to a message from August 2022 in which Ms Davies asked for something to settle her stomach or protein drinks.
No Genuine Remorse Shown
Mrs Justice Stacey said she did not accept there was evidence of "genuine remorse," adding that pre-sentence reports for the couple showed victim-blaming and self-pity. She emphasized: "Ms Davies did not have underlying health problems before her death. It was you, her parents, you were the problem."
Delayed Emergency Call and Family Statement
Bernita Davies, a supermarket supervisor, called paramedics at 8.30am on May 26, 2023 to report her daughter's death, claiming she had checked on her the previous day and found her sleeping. However, the court heard Ms Davies was likely to have been dead for several days by the time emergency services were called.
In a statement, Ms Davies' older sister, who was estranged from their parents, said: "With the right support and encouragement from my mum and dad she could have done so much with her life. Instead she was left to fade into insignificance in the most inhumane way possible. No sentence could ever be enough to atone for that."
Legal Proceedings and Investigation
The Davies, who made no comment in police interviews, were initially charged with gross negligence manslaughter but guilty pleas to the lesser charge of causing or allowing their daughter's death were accepted earlier this year.
Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Sarah-Jayne Williams said: "It is difficult to comprehend that a once fit and healthy woman had been able to deteriorate to the point of death with no intervention from her mother and father, who she resided with at the time and would have been fully aware of her deteriorating condition."
A spokesman for Wrexham Council confirmed Steffie Davies was not known to social services in Wrexham, but said they would be liaising with North Wales Safeguarding Board to consider if the case meets the threshold for a review.
