Philip Burdett, 59, was “completely out of his depths” when the health of his sister, Julie Burdett, 61, deteriorated in January 2019 after many years of suffering from many chronic and complex medical conditions. Ms Burdett, described as “friendly, cheerful and smart”, was found by paramedics on the floor of her bedroom in Leicester’s Oakside Crescent, covered in her feces, urine and vomit. She weighed just four pounds at the time of her death and had suffered the most extensive pressure sores a specialist with more than 40 years of nursing experience had ever seen, Leicester Crown Court heard. Her father, Ralph Bourdett, 93, was acquitted of manslaughter but was convicted of the lesser offense of allowing a vulnerable adult to die. The retired electrician was released by the court on Thursday, after being sentenced to two years in prison, with a suspension for the same period. Prosecutors allege that the defendants, described in court as “extreme” treasure hunters, left the vulnerable woman suffering “terrible” injuries “surrounded by dirt and misery” in a bedroom for about two weeks in January 2019, before she died in January 2019. ulcers. Ralph Burdett told the trial that he had no idea his daughter was dying and did not seek outside help because he “did not want to go against her wishes”. (Joe Giddens / PA) The tissue in her back and hip had died due to a lack of blood supply and her wounds became infected with the MRSA superbug before the deadly rot began. Julie was described in court as smart and intelligent, but she had developed a disease similar to multiple sclerosis by 1998, so she needed a wheelchair when she left home. Her father told the trial that he had no idea his daughter was dying and did not seek outside help because “he did not want to go against her wishes”. The lawsuit alleges that the family, described as “extreme treasure hunters”, became increasingly isolated after the death of Burdet’s mother, Grace, in 2005. Philip Burdett became Julie’s caregiver but had his own health problems as he suffered from agoraphobia and a recurrent depressive disorder. The family was disgusted with the hospitals after Grace’s “painful” death, and Mrs. Burdett made her brother and father promise that they would not let anyone else take care of her or that she would be admitted to the hospital. The judge said, despite these wishes, it was open to the defendants to seek medical and community care. He said: “Although it was misplaced, I accept that you have convinced yourself that it was in Julie’s best interest to stay home and bury your heads in the sand. “I am pleased that you have been overwhelmed by the seriousness of Julie’s ill health and that instead of fulfilling your duties towards her, you have stuck irrationally, but honestly, in the unrealistic hope that she will somehow succeed. “Obviously you did not intend to harm her, but you refused.” He added that “this was not harsh contempt” and that there was “plenty of evidence” that both defendants loved Ms Burdett very much. Describing Philip Burdett as “completely out of his depths” in January 2019, he told him: “I accept that you did not have the necessary supplies to meet the complex care needs of your sister.” However, he noted that an aggravating feature of the case was that he had not yet taken any action to provide appropriate care or seek medical help, as his sister deteriorated and fell in and out of consciousness. He told Ralph Burdett: “I’m sure you knew the danger of Julie ‘s death and foresaw the circumstances under which she died. “Despite the fact that you failed to take the steps that were reasonably expected to have been taken to protect Julie’s life. “Obviously, you did not ask for the help you so obviously needed.” Additional report from the Press Association
