Greg Harris
Shocking bodycam footage reveals the horrific conditions a vulnerable woman was kept in as a 'house slave' for more than 25 years.
The woman, who has not been named, was 16 when she moved into the squalid home of Amanda Wixon in 1995, and remained there until 2021.
On 15 March 2021, one of Wixon's sons raised concerns about the woman to police.
Officers were called to the address of Wixon, 56 in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, UK, and were not prepared for what they were about to see.
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They described the victim, who is in her 40s, as being 'frightened, gaunt and malnourished' adding that she 'smelt strongly of body odour' and her 'hair was cropped close to her head and she had bruises on her arms'.
Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher said: "The whole address was in a bad state. There was mold on the walls, it was untidy, it was messy. But the room where our victim was living was by far the worst location.
"It's been described as absolute squalor and there was very dirty clothing, dirty bed linen, etc. Probably the worst description you could find of a place to live in was what they found that day."
Police described bare plaster walls with mold growing on them and no lightbulb.
“I don’t want to be here,” the victim told officers. “I don’t feel safe. Mandy hits me all the time. I don’t like it. I haven’t washed for years. She doesn’t let me.”
You can see some of the details for yourself in the bodycam footage below:
It came out during a trial at Gloucester Crown Court that Wixon forced the woman to do manual labor and assaulted her regularly, depriving her of food and healthcare. The victim was regularly beaten and hit with a broom handle, knocking out her teeth.
Her head was shaved against her will, and washing-up detergent would be squirted down her throat. The victim also had bleach splashed on her face and her food was limited.
She was not allowed to leave the house and was forced to secretly bathe at night.
Wixon, who is a mother-of-10, had denied a charge of false imprisonment, two modern slavery charges of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labor, and four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. She has now received a 13-year prison sentence.
A jury acquitted Wixon of one assault charge but found her guilty of all the other charges.
Detectives leading the investigation said Wixon had not previously been known to police before her arrest and had presented herself as a community-minded individual who volunteered and supported others.
In a victim statement read during the sentencing, the victim, who is not being identified, said she still lives with ‘trauma and nightmares’ every day.
“For 25 years, I lived in fear, control and abuse. I was treated as though my life, my freedom and my voice did not matter.
“Although my abuser has now been found guilty, the trauma and the nightmares are something I still carry with me every day.
“I am now living with a wonderful family who show me kindness, patience and support.
“Their love is helping me slowly rebuild the life that was taken from me and begin to feel safe again.
“Nothing can give me back the 25 years I lost. But I hope the court recognises the deep and lasting harm this abuse has caused and delivers a sentence that truly reflects the seriousness of these crimes.”