A SENIOR Dyfed-Powys Police officer has said that the parents of Kaylea Titford will 'have to live with her death for many years', after Alun Titford was found guilty of gross negligent manslaughter.

Detective Chief Inspector Jonathon Rees spoke to the waiting media outside Mold Crown Court after a jury deliberated for seven hours and 10 minutes before finding the 45-year-old guilty after a three-week trial.

Kaylea's mother Sarah Lloyd-Jones pleaded guilty to gross negligent manslaughter in December 2022.

DCI Rees praised his officers for their work in bringing Titford to justice and the patience of the Newtown community as police sought the right conviction.

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He said: "The circumstances of Kaylea’s death were tragic, and her parents will have to live with the part they played in that for the rest of their lives.

"This investigation has been extensive, and at times harrowing given Kaylea’s age and the conditions she was living in, yet our officers and partners have worked diligently and professionally throughout.

"I would like to thank them for their efforts, and for getting justice for Kaylea.

"I would also like to thank those who knew Kaylea and members of the community in which she lived for their patience throughout this sensitive investigation."

County Times: Kaylea TitfordKaylea Titford (Image: Canva)

In a separate statement, Dyfed Powys Police told how officers had attended the home of 16-year-old Kaylea following a report from her family that she had died.

"Kaylea, who had just turned 16, had lived with hydrocephalus and spina bifida from birth; however she had enjoyed mainstream school and was a talented wheelchair basketball player," the statement continued.

"She was popular among her peers, and her death was grieved by her school and the wider community.

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"The conditions in which Kaylea was found were abhorrent, and indicated shocking neglect over a prolonged period of time, both environmentally and physically.

"An extensive police investigation included engagement with the Crown Prosecution Service, along with medical, dental and environmental experts.

"This resulted in Kaylea’s parents being charged with gross negligence manslaughter before Titford was found guilty of the charge with an unanimous verdict from a jury made up of eight men and four women."

Both parents will be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on March 1 by Justice Martin Griffiths, who oversaw proceedings, with a pre-sentence ordered for Titford to be used alongside one already received for Lloyd-Jones.