Drug grower left his gran in squalid state

his grandmother.

The court heard that Mrs Cox was reluctant to engage with medical practitioners of any sort and her last appointment with a doctor was in April 2015.

“It is also a feature of the evidence that many who knew her describe her as a woman of strong character who was herself prone to neglecting her hygiene and cleanliness over a protracted period prior to her losing capacity,” conceded Mr Wright.

“That said, the defendant assumed her care, was plainly aware that she was very ill, made no effort to seek help of any kind and the condition of her clothing and person at the time she died can only be described as squalid and filthy.”

Mrs Cox’s daughter Diane had seen her mother and nephew in a car about three weeks before her death and Mr Wright said she was shocked by her condition.

She asked Daniels to take her mother to the doctor and although he said he would, he never made an appointment.

Barrister James Hill QC, for Daniels, highlighted his client’s own psychological traits and submitted that the defendant had not been deliberately ill-treating his grandmother over the seven-week period leading up to her death.

“This is someone who was doing his inadequate best for a long period of time, but then, for a combination of reasons not just his personality, but his grandmother’s personality, wasn’t able to take the steps that the law requires people to take to protect people who are vulnerable,” said Mr Hill.

Judge Penelope Belcher said she had a concern that the presence of the cannabis farm in the house had been some motivation for Daniels to refuse access to other family members and health professionals.

Daniels addressed the judge before he was sentenced and said he didn’t realise something was seriously wrong until he put his grandmother to bed that night.

He said he was going to take her to hospital the next day, but he left it too late and would have to live with that for the rest of his life.