Father and son let relative 'rot' to death

A husband and son who stood by listlessly while their female, bedridden relative was reduced from the family’s “tower of strength” to an “emaciated corpse” were declared guilty of causing her death through failure to provide her with the necessary care.

The 73-year-old husband and his 47-year-old son were made to face justice when the police were called in to investigate what appeared to be, at first glance, a suspicious case of extreme neglect.

The story came to light when, one day in June 2014, a 64-year-old woman who looked as though she was 90 was rushed to hospital in an ambulance, “in moribund state”, blank eyes and her body covered in sores.

Hospital staff at the emergency department were alarmed by the poor state of the patient, who was admitted in critical condition, “in a bad state of hygiene”, her left side covered in sores so deep that her hip bone showed through.

The patient was so dirty that a necklace was stuck to her body, “embedded” in grime.

Although medical staff battled to save her life, the woman passed away four days after her admission, the cause of death being attributed to “cardio respiratory failure caused by malnutrition”.

The police were alerted to...