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UK father guilty of manslaughter of obese disabled teen

AFP
Wednesday, Feb 08, 2023

LONDON: A jury on Tuesday found a British man guilty of manslaughter after his disabled 16-year-old daughter died at home suffering from obesity and living in horrific conditions.

Kaylea Titford, who had hydrocephalus and spina bifida, was found dead at her home in Wales, weighing 22 stone 13 pounds and lying on soiled toilet pads made for house-training puppies, the court heard.

Spina bifida is a condition that develops in the womb, causing spinal and neurological problems. It can also cause hydrocephalus, or a build-up of fluid on the brain. Titford, who used a wheelchair, died in October 2020 after suffering inflammation and infected ulcers due to her obesity and immobility. Maggots were found on her body, the jury heard.

Welsh police said these conditions “were abhorrent, and indicated shocking neglect over a prolonged period of time, both environmentally and physically”. Her father Alun Titford, a 45-year-old removals worker, was convicted of her manslaughter by gross negligence, after pleading not guilty at Mold Crown Court in north Wales.