Mother starves disabled daughter to death, spends care money on bags and shoes

A woman who starved her 24-year-old specially-abled daughter to death, has been sentenced to spend nearly 10 years in prison. The 49-year-old woman used to live in Blackpool, Lancashire where the incident occurred.

The girl had Down's Syndrome and had been living with her mother since her parents separated when she was five years old. Her body was found in 2019 in their house in an emaciated condition.

Debbie Leitch's post mortem report revealed that she had scabies skin infection. The emergency services had found her in an unrecognisable condition, her room was covered with faeces and "smelled of death," according to a report in Daily Mail.

'Debbie was extremely emaciated with a severe rash to the scalp, the face and the soles of the feet. The jumper and trousers worn by the deceased were filthy and mites were found crawling on them.

A urine-soiled nappy was found inside her trousers," the prosecutor in the case told the court.
Debbie's mother Elaine Clarke, has been charged with gross negligent manslaughter. She had earlier pleaded not guilty in the case but changed the plea just 10 days before the case was to be tried.

"Not only did you not do your best, but you must have done absolutely nothing to care for her. 'Instead, you simply abandoned her to die alone, in pain, without nourishment, in the most awful state. The pain she must have felt is apparent," said Judge Amanda Yip while passing the verdict.

As per a report in The Sun, Clarke used to get weekly benefit payments of £215 to look after her daughter, but she spent that money on "buying handbags and shoes."

Her father Thomas has blamed everyone for his daughter's death, the social services, the mother and the neighbours. "I just can't understand why no one did anything to help Debbie. Elaine was always very good at lying, but it's like social just said, 'Alright, case closed'."

Clarke has been jailed for nine years and seven months after she admitted to gross negligent manslaughter at Preston Crown Court.