Mum’s death haunts family

A FORMER Derwent Valley woman who was convicted of her mother’s manslaughter has told the Coroners Court in Hobart she and her family have “suffered so much” since her mother’s 2010 death.

Jassy Anglin and her husband Michael Anglin pleaded guilty to the manslaughter and were sentenced to two years’ jail, wholly suspended, in 2015.

Yesterday the couple appeared via video link from NSW before Coroner Olivia McTaggart, who is investigating Janet Mackozdi’s death.

Mrs Mackozdi, 77, died on July 23, 2010, after spending a night in a shipping container at the Anglins’ Mt Lloyd property, where the overnight temperature was estimated to have been between 0.1C and 2.9C.

Counsel assisting the coroner, Allison Shand, yesterday told the court Mrs Mackozdi, who moved in with the Anglin family in 2009, had dementia and the level of care she required was beyond what the Anglins could provide.

“Almost irrespective of what Mrs Mackozdi’s view may have been about nursing care, the situation was that she required significant and ongoing care and that it was apparent that Mrs and Mr Anglin were not well placed to provide the level of care,” Ms Shand said.

She said Mr and Mrs Anglin also chose not to use external services that were available to help them assist care for Mrs Mackozdi.

Ms Shand said there had been evidence from a financial planner that Mrs Mackozdi’s financial situation was “being taken advantage of by Mr and Mrs Anglin.

Mrs Anglin became emotional as she refuted the financial planner’s claims.

“It’s eight years and it’s all I’ve ever thought about every day,” she said.

“I’ve been through so much in the last eight years. Me and my family, we have suffered so much through this.”

Mrs Anglin also said: “It broke my heart to think that anybody would perceive that I would have hurt my mother in any way whatsoever ... she didn’t want to go into a nursing home, that was the thing, she couldn’t stand it, it would have been like going to jail for her.”

Coroner Olivia McTaggart told the Anglins it would take at least 12 weeks for her to publish her findings.

Ms McTaggart said she was considering the broader issue of elder abuse.

“It’s appropriate that I make recommendations in relation to that regardless of my specific findings,” she said.