A five-year-old girl cried out “this is too hot, mummy” before an elderly woman allegedly forced her into scalding water, causing her skin to peel off and leading to her death, Isleworth Crown Court has heard.
Charges in Decades-Old Case
Janice Nix, 67, faces manslaughter charges for the 1978 death of Andrea Bernard in Thornton Heath, south London. The incident was originally classified as an accident until Andrea’s older brother, Desmond Bernard, now 56, contacted police in 2022.
Brother’s Court Testimony
Desmond Bernard testified that Nix frequently physically disciplined the children, even over minor issues like imperfectly folded clothes. On June 6, 1978, Nix flew into a rage when Andrea failed to stay home and help with cleaning tasks.
Bernard recounted hearing Nix shout “get in the bath” while Andrea protested, “the bath is too hot, mummy.” Screams and splashing followed, then silence as Nix urged, “wake up, wake up.”
Earlier that day, returning from school, Andrea confided in her brother about being in trouble and wanting to flee to their grandmother’s house. Bernard declined, unsure how to get there by bus and not facing punishment himself.
Upon arriving home, Nix screamed at Andrea in an extremely loud voice, assaulted her, and ran the bath. Afterward, Nix sounded scared. Bernard entered the bathroom to see her cradling limp Andrea, wrapped in a towel, with skin falling off.
Nix instructed him to claim it was an accident, that they were in the garden, and promised never to beat him again. Terrified and seeking protection, Bernard lied to authorities, including at the inquest, where he repeated Nix’s fabricated story.
Early Encounters and Abuse
Nix, then known as Janice Thomas in her late teens, had been involved with the children’s father, another Desmond Bernard, positioning her as their stepmother. The siblings initially resisted her, acting rudely and telling her she was not their mother. Andrea even hit her with a small tennis racket amid the confusion of her sudden presence in their home.
The next day, after their father left, Nix slapped both children harder than they had ever experienced. She warned them she would not tolerate defiance and threatened worse punishment if they told their father.
Decision to Come Forward
Bernard explained his recent disclosure stemmed from an inability to bear the burden any longer, aiming to shift responsibility where it belonged. He lived in constant fear of Nix’s assaults and stayed silent to avoid further punishment.
Nix, of Clapham, south London, denies manslaughter and cruelty charges against Desmond Bernard from October 1975 to June 1978. The trial continues.
