A “lazy” father was convicted of killing his 16-year-old obese daughter via gross negligence after she was discovered dead at the family home.
At the time of her death in Newtown, Powys, in October 2020, Kaylea Titford weighed 22st 13lb and was discovered in clothes and bed linen that were “unfit for any animal,” according to testimony given in court.
It was said that her room was filthy and crowded, with urine bottles, a chip fryer with fat drips down the side, and a complete cake in a box.
Kaylea wasn’t visited by a doctor in the last nine months of her life, and a jury at Mold Crown Court heard that she hadn’t gone back to school in September 2020.
The prosecution said that the nationwide Covid shutdown prevented Kaylea’s parents, Alun Titford, 45, and Sarah Lloyd-Jones, 40, from publicly discussing their failings.
At the time of her death, Kaylea was immobilized in her filthy bed, her hair was matted and muddy, and it had been at least a year since she had her toenails clipped. Her skin had ulcers and was quite irritated.
Kaylea laid in her own waste because she couldn’t go to the restroom or toilet, according to prosecutor Caroline Rees KC.
It must have been a completely miserable experience that you wouldn’t want on any animal, much less a helpless crippled kid, she added.
In her gloomy apartment, Kaylea was ‘imprisoned,’ the court heard, with portions of her body ‘rotting alive.
Alun Titford, Kaylea’s father, said, “I’m lazy,” when questioned about why he had let his daughter down so severely throughout his testimony.
Last year, Kaylea’s mother, Sarah Lloyd-Jones, 39, entered a guilty plea to manslaughter by gross negligence; however, Kaylea’s father, Alun Titford, contested the accusation as well as a different allegation of causing or permitting a child’s death.
According to testimony given in court, Kaylea, who had spina bifida and required a wheelchair, passed away from ulceration and inflammation brought on by weight and immobility.
It was the worst instance of pressure ulceration, according to a specialist.
She was discovered on October 10 and emergency personnel were summoned to the home. They reported feeling unwell because of a ‘rotting’ scent in her room.
The jury was informed that maggots were discovered after her death and were likely eating on her corpse.
Her bedclothes were filthy, and the court was informed that she was laying on many dog training pads.
Images and body-cam video revealed the unkempt and filthy inside of the house, which included many insect infestations, a bottle of urine, soiled clothes, and a catheter on the floor.
Kaylea attended Newtown High School, where staff members regarded her as “funny and gregarious,” but she left after the coronavirus lockdown in March 2020.
The family would order takeout four or five evenings a week, according to Titford, who had six kids with Lloyd-Jones, and he believed Kaylea had gained two or three stone since March.
The prosecution said that since lockdown began, Kaylea had not used her wheelchair because it had become too small for her. She hadn’t been out of bed, had she, Titford was questioned by prosecutor Caroline Rees KC.
In spite of telling authorities during an interview that he had not seen her get out of bed, he later claimed to have seen her in her wheelchair in the home’s kitchen at that time.
The court heard that Kaylea had stopped receiving dietetics and physiotherapy treatments in the years before her death, and that a social worker had last visited her at home in 2017.
Titford said that Lloyd-Jones, a community care worker, was in charge of taking care of Kaylea.
He said that before she entered puberty, he used to take care of her and accompany her to doctor’s visits, but he stopped doing so because he felt uncomfortable. In cross-examination, he acknowledged that he shared equal responsibility with Kaylea’s mother for her death.
Following the jury’s decision, trial judge Mr. Justice Martin Alexander Griffiths declared: “I will not sentence the defendant today.” Before I can accomplish that, I need additional information.
“I will sentence this offender and Sarah Lloyd-Jones, who has entered a guilty plea, at Swansea Crown Court on March 1.”
There is no question that this instance meets the custody requirement. Having a pre-sentence report on Sarah Lloyd-Jones gives me complete knowledge about Alun Titford. On him, I’ll also have a pre-sentence report.
That just indicates that a jail sentence will be given, not anything more.
He was given bail with restrictions.
‘Following the end of court proceedings, a brief child practice review is to be carried out and will include all relevant agencies following a clear legislative framework,’ a Powys County Council spokeswoman said.
Until this procedure is finished, the local authority feels unable to comment.
“No child should be exposed to the horrifying torture Kaylea Titford was put to before to her terrible death,” said Tracey Holdsworth, assistant director of NSPCC Cymru.
It is very upsetting that individuals who should have taken care of her intentionally neglected her for such a long time.
Despite the fact that Kaylea’s parents are to fault for her passing, this case demonstrates the need of having strong safeguarding measures in place across our communities. Research indicates that children with disabilities are three times more likely to experience maltreatment.
“A child safety practice review must leave no stone unturned in determining what more might have been done to protect Kaylea and—most importantly—ensure that future children do not endure such awful neglect without being discovered.”
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