A 67-year-old woman, Janice Nix, formerly Janice Thomas, is currently on trial for manslaughter over the death of her five-year-old stepdaughter, Andrea Bernard, in Thornton Heath, south London, on 6 June 1978.
Janice Nix has denied the charges during the ongoing trial at the Old Bailey. The case was reopened after Andrea’s older brother contacted police in 2022, overturning the initial conclusion that the death was a tragic accident.
During the trial, Nix broke down in court as she told the jury that she pulled Andrea from a scalding bath after hearing her scream. She admitted to giving a false account at the original inquest, where she claimed Andrea had bathed alone before complaining of itchy legs and then collapsing.
“I was in a panic because I hadn’t been supervising her,” Nix said. “I realised I had done something I shouldn’t have done; I should have been with Andrea. I was young, and I was clearly not thinking.”
Prosecutors allege that Nix was violent towards Andrea and her brother Desmond. They claim that placing Andrea in the hot bath was a form of punishment that resulted in fatal burns. Nix denies all charges, including cruelty towards Desmond between 1975 and 1978, when he was aged seven to nine.
The death was initially treated as an accident for over 40 years until Desmond Bernard contacted the police in 2022, which led to the reopening of the investigation and the current manslaughter charge.
The trial is ongoing at the Old Bailey, where jurors are considering the evidence against Janice Nix, who currently resides in Clapham, south London.
Originally published by UKNIP.
