A five-year-old girl cried out “this is too hot mummy” before being forced into scalding water that led to her death, jurors at Isleworth Crown Court have heard.
Stepbrother’s Emotional Testimony
Desmond Bernard, now an adult, tearfully recounted the events of June 6, 1978, at the family home in Thornton Heath, South London. He described hearing his sister Andrea scream “the bath is too hot, mummy” followed by splashing and cries that lasted a couple of minutes. The screaming then stopped, and he saw Janice Nix cradling the limp child in a towel by the bathtub, with Andrea’s eyes fluttering closed and skin peeling off.
Desmond claimed Nix, his stepmother at the time, urged him to describe the incident as an accident, promising never to beat him again. He admitted lying to authorities initially out of fear.
Alleged Campaign of Abuse
Prosecutor Kerry Broome outlined how Nix, then 17 and known as Janice Thomas, began a relationship with the children’s father, Desmond Bernard Sr., after their mother Angela went to prison in 1975. Following Angela’s release, she split from the father, and Nix moved into the home, becoming the primary caregiver for Andrea and eight-year-old Desmond.
Desmond described a cycle of violence starting after the children rejected Nix as their mother. Punishments escalated from slaps and smacks to beatings with doubled-up belts on arms and legs, occurring once or twice weekly when the father was absent. Nix reportedly forced Desmond to eat cat food for not cleaning the pet’s bowl, burned his hand with a cigarette, and bit his arm until it bled for taking chocolate from the fridge. He also recalled a cold bath punishment shortly before Andrea’s incident.
The Day of the Scalding
Both children returned from school to Nix while their father worked. She later told police they bathed because they were dirty, and Andrea emerged 20 minutes later complaining her legs itched, appearing bright pink and peeling before fainting. Desmond initially echoed this account but later retracted it in 2022.
Andrea endured nearly six weeks in a specialist burns unit, undergoing skin grafts but succumbing to a heart attack from sepsis on July 13, 1978.
Prosecution’s Case and Trial Details
Broome noted the case dates to 1976-1978, with no initial suspicion around Andrea’s death. Police launched an investigation in 2022 after Desmond came forward. Nix faces charges of manslaughter and child cruelty toward Desmond, which she denies. The three-week trial continues.
