Tewkesbury woman found guilty of modern day slavery offences

A Tewkesbury woman who held a vulnerable woman captive in her home for more than 20 years has been convicted.

Amanda Wixon, aged 56, forced the victim to do manual labour, regularly assaulted her and deprived the victim of food and healthcare.

At Gloucester Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday 21 January) Wixon was found guilty of modern day slavery offences including two counts of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, one count of false imprisonment and three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

She was found not guilty of a further count of assault.

During the 13-day trial, the court heard how the victim, who is now aged in her 40s and has learning difficulties, knew Wixon through family connections and had spent time with her and her family as a child.

Wixon assumed responsibility for the victim in 1996, and moved her into the family home.

For more than two decades Wixon kept the victim in squalid conditions; locking her in the house and depriving her of food, health and dental care.

Wixon also deprived her of money. Despite claiming benefits for the victim since 2000, which were paid into Wixon's bank account, the victim was forced to live in poverty and wear hand-me-down clothes.  

The jury heard how Wixon exploited the victim over the years; forcing her to complete work around the house under the threat of violence.

The victim was made to spend hours on her knees each day; sweeping the floors with a dustpan and brush and had to serve the family meals, do the washing up and sort the family's clothing.

Wixon forbade the victim from washing herself, but she was made to bathe the children and run baths for Wixon.

She would allow the victim to have one meal a day, usually leftover food or scraps, and the victim would often hide sweet foods to eat in secret if she got hungry.

Those threats of violence were accompanied by actual violence with Wixon regularly beating the victim if she did not complete the jobs around the home.

Between January 1997 and March 2021, the victim described how Wixon strangled her, put her head down the toilet and poured cleaning fluids on her face and down her throat.

Wixon also stamped on the victim and hit her in the face with a broom handle, causing her to lose her teeth. She would also forcibly shave off the victim's hair, despite the victim wanting it long.

On one occasion, when Wixon discovered the victim had been given a mobile phone, she took it from her and hit her around the face with it, giving her a black eye. She then smashed the phone with a hammer.

On 15 March 2021, after feeling ill, the victim used another secret mobile phone she had been given, to call someone she knew for help.

The police were called and officers attended Wixon's address at around 10.40pm that evening.

On arrival, officers described how the victim appeared frightened, gaunt and malnourished and smelt strongly of body odour. Her hair was cropped close to her head and she had bruises on her arms.

In the victim's bedroom they found a basic bed with filthy sheets, bare plaster walls with mould growing on them and no light bulb.

The victim was removed from the address and taken to hospital to be assessed, where doctors noted how she looked malnourished.

Doctors also noted scarring around her mouth, thought to be due to contact with cleaning fluids, and calluses on her ankles, which were consistent with the victim's account of spending hours on her knees sweeping the floor.

The victim was also taken to see a dentist for the first time, who noted that she would have been in severe pain at multiple points over the years due to infections and abscesses which were never treated.

Wixon was arrested on suspicion of neglect and taken into custody. Following an investigation by Gloucestershire Police's Criminal Investigation Department, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges.

Detective Constable Emma Jackson from Gloucestershire Police said: "Wixon kept an extremely vulnerable victim captive in appalling conditions for over two decades.

"Instead of caring for her, as she was supposed to, she exploited her and forced her to work in domestic servitude whilst subjecting her to the most cruel and inhumane treatment.

"I commend the victim in this case for reaching out for help. Knowing all too well what the violent consequences would have been if she'd been caught, it was incredibly courageous of her.

"I'm pleased to say that the victim, with the help of her wonderful Shared Lives carer, is now flourishing. She's healthy and enjoying the freedoms Wixon denied her of for so long."

Laura Burgess, a Senior Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Amanda Wixon subjected the victim in this case to decades of unimaginable cruelty, exploitation and control. She was denied her freedom, her dignity, and even the most basic autonomy. The progress she has made since being removed from this oppressive environment is a testament to her strength.

"Our thoughts remain with her as she continues to rebuild her life, and I hope she can find some comfort in seeing justice delivered today."

Wixon was released on bail by the court and is due to be sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday 12 March.

If you suspect someone to be a victim contact the 24/7 Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 0121 700, or police on 101. Your information could save a life. In an emergency always call 999.