A woman who forced a teenage girl to be her 'house slave' for more than a quarter of a century has been locked up for 13 years.
The horrific crimes committed by mother-of-ten Amanda Wixon were laid bare during a two-week trial in January, as jurors heard the harrowing details of the 'horrendous treatment' and 'numerous assaults' her victim endured.
The woman - who is now in her mid-40s and has a learning disability - was subjected to abuse for over 25 years after moving into Wixon's squalid home in 1995 at the age of 16.
She slept in a bedroom which stunned police officers said resembled a 'prison cell' and was kept captive at the property for over two decades.
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The victim was forced to take care of the homeowner's ten children, had to clean the family home in Tewkesbury, lived off food scraps and was only able to secretly wash at nighttime.
Gloucester Crown Court heard the woman, referred to as 'K' in court, was regularly beaten and also hit with a broom handle, knocking out her teeth.
Prosecutor Sam Jones said Wixon's abuse has left a 'significant' and 'life-altering' impact on her life, saying: "[It] still controls much of her life and she will live with the effects of her trauma for the rest of her life."
The court heard chilling details of the abuse that the woman - who now refers to Wixon as 'The Witch' - suffered. Cleaning fluid was cruelly poured into her mouth and her head was shaved against her will repeatedly.
She was also pushed down the stairs and her head was shoved down a toilet bowl.
The home she was forced to continuously clean was described as being 'squalid', with mould on the walls, plaster hanging off and rubbish in the back garden.
Wixon also kept the doors and windows of her property locked while refusing to allow the woman outside. Her victim only gained her freedom in 2021 after one of Wixon's sons alerted police.
The court heard that the woman did not know how to go outside, cross the road, or even dress for the weather when she was finally rescued.
"She felt the need to clean all the time, she found it impossible to relax - this appeared to be engraved in her," Jones said.
Passing sentence, Judge Ian Lawrie KC said Wixon was in 'permanent denial' about the impact of her offending on the woman.
"The gravity of your offending is so serious that I am imposing a significant period of custody,” the judge said. "You are to be punished for a series of offences spanning 20 years. You cruelly and persistently held captive this woman. "This false imprisonment ran from her later teens until early 40s. The enduring persistent trauma of that slavery remains. This offending was not isolated and was persistent over many years."
The judge said it is clear how 'emotionally and psychologically vulnerable' the 42-year-old victim is, while saying Wixon 'effectively crushed her spirit' while keeping her captive.
"K was effectively your servant, your slave and carried out domestic work in your own," he said. "It's clear to me that you taking K into your care was opportunistic for claiming her benefits."
It emerged during Wixon's trial that she had been claiming benefit's on the woman's behalf while she kept her captive. It is estimated that she may have received over £100,000 over this period.
A jury found her guilty of false imprisonment, two charges of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, and four charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. She was acquitted of one of the assault charges.
On Thursday (12 March), Wixon was jailed for 13 years and told that she will serve at least two thirds of this behind bars.
The court heard how the victim now requires 24-hour care due to her ordeal. She now lives with a foster family and attends college, but has little comprehension of the abuse she suffered at Wixon’s hands, her foster mother said.
During the hearing, a note written by the victim was read out, which detailed the 'deep and lasting harm' Wixon's abuse has left on her.
"For 25 years, I lived in fear, control and abuse," the woman said. "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."
Defending Wixon, Edward Hollingsworth suggested that the mum should be considered as 'somewhat vulnerable in her own right' - pointing out her 'lack of any teeth' to the judge - while saying her offences were 'heartless, but not sophisticated'.
Wixon's first husband and father of seven of her 10 children is an alcoholic, and her current husband has learning difficulties, Hollingsworth added. A number of her children also have their own vulnerabilities.
During the trial, the court heard that social services had been involved with the Wixon family in the late 1990s, but there were no records of any other contact with any agency since then.
Olivia Burke