A woman accused of causing the death of a five-year-old girl by immersing her in a scalding bath allegedly coerced the child’s younger brother to fabricate that it was an accident to avoid further harm, a court has been informed.
Janice Nix, 67, refutes the charge of manslaughter in the case of Andrea Bernard, whom she allegedly subjected to the hot bath in Thornton Heath, south London, on June 6, 1978.
The accused, a resident of Clapham, south London, also denies allegations of mistreating Andrea’s brother, Desmond Bernard, between October 1, 1975, and June 6, 1978, when he was aged seven to nine.
The death of Andrea was initially considered accidental for almost fifty years until her brother approached the authorities with new details in September 2022, as revealed during the trial’s commencement at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday.
In a voluntary police interview, Nix provided a contradictory account of the events compared to her previous statements to the coroner in 1978, according to prosecutor Kerry Broome. Mr. Bernard came forward after struggling with the burden of his sister’s death, Broome added.
Nix, then known as Janice Thomas in her late teens, had the primary caretaking responsibility for the children as their father, also named Desmond Bernard, was frequently away working as a chauffeur, jurors were informed.
Mr. Bernard informed the police that there was an incident involving Andrea the night before the bath, but he couldn’t recall the specifics. Consequently, Nix reportedly prevented Andrea from going to school, instructing her to stay home and clean, as per his account.
“Nix was infuriated when they returned home together, hitting Andrea and accusing her of defying her instructions to stay home,” Mr. Bernard recounted to the police.
He claimed to have heard Nix beating Andrea in the adjacent bathroom and later heard the sound of water running. Subsequently, he allegedly overheard Nix instructing Andrea to enter the bath, with Andrea screaming that the water was hot.
Following the incident, Nix allegedly asked the brother to maintain that Andrea’s injuries were accidental, promising not to harm him further. Consequently, he complied with her request and claimed the incident was an accident to avoid further abuse.
At the inquest, Nix had claimed that the children appeared dirty upon returning from school, prompting her to instruct them to bathe and change clothes. Andrea’s prolonged time in the bath and subsequent complaints of itchy legs were also mentioned.
Nix asserted that Andrea fainted, leading to her being taken to Mayday Hospital, Croydon, South London, where she later succumbed to burn-related complications on July 13, 1978.
Nix contested the accusations, suggesting that Andrea’s demise was the result of a malfunctioning boiler causing the water to overheat during the bath.
The trial is ongoing.