Kaylea Titford's father says he was 'lazy' in his care for daughter

Alun Titford, 45, of Newtown, faced extensive cross-examination at Mold Crown Court from prosecuting barrister Caroline Rees KC on Wednesday (February 1) afternoon.  

The father of six denies gross negligent manslaughter over the death of his disabled daughter, who weighed 23 stone by the time of her death in October 2020.  

His partner, Sarah Lloyd-Jones, has previously pleaded guilty to the same offence and throughout her cross-examination of Titford, Ms Rees said he was equally to blame for the squalid conditions Kaylea lived and died in. 

As the evidence was heard Titford, who repeatedly said that he had been ‘lazy’ when it came to the care of his bed-bound daughter, was asked a series of questions by prosecution barrister Caroline Rees KC. 

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She said: “You breached your duty as a parent – you didn’t do as a parent should do? 

“You didn’t look after her diet. 

“You didn’t give her personal dignity by keeping her clean.  

“Did you do anything to keep her moving or her bedroom clean and safe? 

“Did you get her a doctor?” 

Titford replied no to all.  

She added: “Why did you let your daughter down so badly? It’s right that you’re just as much to blame as Sarah Lloyd-Jones, aren’t you?” 

Titford replied ‘yes’ and that he was ‘lazy’ but insisted he did care about his daughter’s welfare, despite her weight, the sores and ulcers on her body and a lack of healthy diet.  

Throughout the cross-examination, the defendant, who worked in removals, flatly denied that he was aware of any issues with Kaylea’s health.  

Titford told the court that even when celebrating her birthday two weeks before she died, he could not smell anything in the room and he did not think there was anything wrong with the state of her living conditions.

He did admit however that he had let his daughter down by not stopping her ‘defecating in her own bed’ and ‘living in inhumane conditions’. 

He added that he was aware of flies in her room but said he thought it was because the room was "coolest and darkest". 

Titford insisted he did care for his daughter but denied that he was keeping her away from people by not sending her to school, and that was Lloyd-Jones’s responsibility. 

He also defended using text messages to talk to her, including telling her to stop screaming which he added she did regularly to get people to leave her room and denied that this communication method was employed to avoid entering her room. 

He also said he did not consider that family's takeaways up to five nights a week were bad for her increasing weight.  

The trial continues.