Powys teen Kaylea Titford 'should have had more support'

Kaylea Titford died in October 2020 at her family home in Colwyn, Newtown, and her father, Alun Titford, denies gross negligence manslaughter at Mold Crown Court.

Her mother, Sarah Lloyd-Jones, has already pleaded guilty to the same offence.

Dr Catherine Moore, a consultant community paediatrician, was on the stand to give evidence for the prosecution.

She told the court that she had commissioned a report, at the request of Dyfed-Powys Police, based on the evidence such as reports, Kaylea’s medical history and photographs of the environment she lived in.

Dr Moore, who worked for the NHS for nearly 25 years, told the court that she considered Kaylea to be ‘very vulnerable’ because she relied on others for help with hygiene and mobility.  

Dr Moore was asked if she thought Kaylea had been cared for. 

OTHER NEWS:

• Day Eight: Kaylea Titford dad on trial for death of obese daughter
• Wrongly convicted Powys minister speaks out over sex abuse lies
• Volunteers praised for planting thousands of trees on Powys farm

She said: “Absolutely not – she was found in a position where she had not been adequately cared for quite a length of time.” 

She confirmed to prosecutor Caroline Rees KC that Kaylea was not considered to be a ‘child in need’ when she died, though admitted she could not say why.  

Dr Moore also added that, other than her parents, she did not see any evidence of other carers supporting her needs and said that ‘it seemed no-one had cared for her for a very long time’.  

The expert witness, who had been called by the prosecution, also told the court that Kaylea’s living environment "was absolutely not appropriate", that it was cluttered and dirty, with a high risk of infection.  

Dr Moore added: “Kaylea had complex medical needs which were not met, she was not cared for and she lived in an unsanitary environment.  

“She had no quality of life and it looked like she had not been moved for a very long time.” 

However, in cross-examination by defence barrister David Elias KC, Dr Moore agreed that, regardless of who was responsible for it, the lack of multi-agency involvement in Kaylea’s care in her late teens was ‘wrong’. 

Mr Elias highlighted that her own report noted the lack of keyworker for Kaylea, and she replies that while it happens, it wasn’t best or good practice.  

Dr Moore agreed that she wrote in her report from 2021 that Kaylea’s carers – her parents – were not getting support but it was not clear why.  

She said that it was wrong.  

Dr Moore also stated that she did not know who decided Kaylea was no longer a ‘child in need’ but agreed with Mr Elias that the relevant stakeholders should have recognised the need for her to be.  

She added that social services ‘should have been aware’. 

The witness also confirmed that she wrote that weight loss and treatment of her ulcers would have helped Kaylea but, in her expert opinion, may not have prevented her death.

The defence barrister also read out Dr Moore’s conclusion that Kaylea was failed by some stakeholders, which she agrees she said.  

Earlier on Thursday, the court heard from Dr Lea Solman, a consultant child skin expert from London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, who said that some of the ulcers on Kaylea’s body ‘were nothing like she had seen before’. 

The trial continues.