Reading Chronicle | | Husband sent to prison after wife dies of starvation

Tuesday, 6th January, 2009

Published: Friday, 28th March, 2008 12:00

Husband sent to prison after wife dies of starvation

By Alex Gore

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Gillian Pottinger died from starvation

A RETIRED dustman who allowed his wife to starve to death in squalor has been sent to prison.

A court heard that 61-year-old Gillian Pottinger weighed just four-and-a-half-stone when her body was found on an insect-infested sofa.

William Pottinger, 71, wept as a judge told him he could have saved her, but after the case friends condemned the 18-month sentence.

Anthony Allen, who lives in Tilehurst, said: “It is ridiculous. He is 71, what good is sending him to prison going to do? I am really upset.”

But Detective Inspector Rebecca Mears, who led the police investigation, said: “It was probably one of the most extreme cases of neglect that I have ever come across. It really was quite horrendous.”

Pottinger had admitted a charge of manslaughter by gross neglect, and the court heard his wife’s body was found at her younger brother’s home in Beecham Road, west Reading, where they were living in June 2006.

The prosecution said Mrs Pottinger left her job in a cafe in 2003 because of ill health but her mental state deteriorated, she became reclusive and abusive to anyone who tried to help her or clean up around her.

By 2006 she became so weak that she could not get off the sofa but, the court was told, Pottinger carried on life as normal and did not seek help.

Passing sentence at Reading Crown Court, Judge Christopher Tyrer said: “You allowed your wife to starve to death. She began to significantly deteriorate from the year 2000 and last went outside in 2003.

“She totally lost the ability to look after herself and lay on a sofa and wasted away.

“Her death was in squalid and degrading circumstances and the pain she suffered for months before she died does not bear thinking about.”

Judge Tyrer said: “For the 21st Century these are exceptional circumstances. You could see what was happening to her and must have realised that she was incapable of doing anything for herself.

“At any stage in the last few months you could have called for help but you did not. Only one person knows why and that person is you.”

Defence counsel Harenda De Silva produced reports which said Pottinger himself suffers from “a mental impairment” and he claimed he was simply trying to avoid conflict with his wife who had refused assistance and medical attention.

Mr De Silva said Mrs Pottinger’s family and social services staff were also to blame for failing to intervene.

He said: “Mrs Pottinger was abusive to anyone who tried to assist her.

“What seems to be the case is that members of her family were unable to cope and just cut themselves off from her.

“The only person who was unable to cut themselves off was the defendant, who was living under the same roof.

“If other members of the family had exercised their responsibility this tragedy may have been avoided.

“The others who gave up were much more mentally and physically capable of dealing with Mrs Pottinger than Mr Pottinger was.”

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