THE father of disabled Newtown girl Kaylea Titford has told his trial that had he been aware of the condition of her body, he would have acted to help her.

Alun Titford, 45, is on trial at Mold Crown Court for gross negligence manslaughter, which he denies, and took to the stand for the first time as the defence case opened.  

He also blamed his lack of being a good father for his daughter’s condition going unnoticed, stating that they did not communicate on it.  

He told David Elias KC, defending, that despite playing a prominent role in Kaylea’s care when she younger, he ‘stook a step back’ after she had gone through puberty. 

He said that he left her personal care to his partner of more than 20 years and the mother of his six children, Sarah Lloyd-Jones, who has admitted the manslaughter charge, once Kaylea, who was bed-bound with spina bifida, had begun her menstrual cycle.

He insisted that his partner was responsible for Kaylea’s care and that despite last being in her room for her birthday on September 27, he did not notice any smell which a number of prosecution witnesses spoke of in their evidence.  

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“Had I been, I would have driven her to the doctors myself,” he said. 

He said there was no smell on her birthday and that and he had no concerns over her condition as he had not been told by Lloyd-Jones.

However, when Mr Elias asked whether he could have done more as father for Kaylea, he said yes and added that he was ‘a bad father’. 

Titford added: “No, I’m just not very good. I’m not a good communicator.” 

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Titford also said Kaylea’s room was ‘cluttered and dirty’ because he and Lloyd-Jones hoarded, with the jury previously hearing that items such as a pool table and pressure washer were stored in her room. 

He said: “We just didn’t throw nothing away and it was no-one’s decision.”  

He also told the court that he was not aware of the bottles of urine on the floor as he was not responsible for her toilet use.

He also says he was unaware of the state of the wet room, with faeces on the floor, adding the room was used to keep the dog in because it was ‘nasty’.

Titford added he could not recall the last time Kaylea used that room, and that it was Lloyd-Jones who looked after Kaylea’s hygiene. 

Earlier in his evidence, Titford told the court the role he played in Kaylea’s early life, both at home and for medical needs, supporting her over weight issues as well as working full-time as a removals man. 

He said that Lloyd-Jones did not begin working until 2018, but was responsible for Kaylea’s care, including treatment with dressings and iodine for her sores. 

He also confirmed that he exchanged text messages with his partner over her fears that she was not coping with both, but insisted he had no concerns over her care for Kaylea.  

The trial will continue on Wednesday afternoon as prosecutor Caroline Rees KC will cross-examine him.