Parents accused of causing death of disabled teen by allowing her to become obese deny manslaughter

The parents of a teenage girl who died from health problems linked to obesity will stand trial over her death after they allegedly neglected her by allowing her to get overweight. 

Kaylea Titford, 16, was found dead in her bed by her mother, Sarah Lloyd-Jones, at the family home in Newtown, Powys, in October 2020. 

Ms Lloyd-Jones, 39, and Kaylea’s father Alun Titford, 44, have been charged with gross negligence manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable person. 

It is alleged that they failed to ensure their daughter’s dietary needs were met, leading to morbid obesity, between March 24 and October 11, 2020. 

The charge also states they did not ‘ensure she got enough exercise, was in a hygienic condition, had a safe and hygienic environment, her physical health was maintained, or that reasonable medical help was sought.’ 

The pair, of Newton, Powys, denied the charges at Mold Crown Court.  A provisional trial date has been set for January 16, 2023. 

Judge Rhys Rowlands granted the pair conditional bail until trial, which he said is expected to last four to five weeks. 

At an earlier inquest held in Pontypridd, south Wales, it was heard that Kaylea, who had spina bifida, suffered ‘multiple medical issues’ throughout her life and was immobile.  

She was pronounced dead by paramedics at 8:12am on October 10, 2020 after being discovered by her mother. 

A medical cause of death was given as ‘inflammation and infection in extensive areas of ulceration arising from obesity and its complications in a girl with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.’ 

Kaylea, who had spina bifida, suffered ‘multiple medical issues’ throughout her life and was immobile.

Alun Titford, 44, and Sarah Lloyd-Jones, 39, of Newtown, were pictured leaving Mold Crown Court

Coroner Graeme Hughes adjourned the inquest until the conclusion of the criminal investigation. 

‘While the medical cause of death was proposed by Dr James may itself be natural, the circumstances precipitating Kaleigh’s death are under investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police,’ he said. 

‘As such those investigations give me reason to suspect that Kaleigh’s death may be unnatural, in that a natural cause of death may be considered unnatural where there is some culpable human involvement or contribution to that death.’