Woman who killed paralysed sister is given suspended sentence

Prior to her death, Kelly Neill’s son Jake Neill-Knight had argued with his aunt over her care and told her that his mother needed to be in a home.

But the defendant disagreed and controlled access to the house, the court heard.

Reading a victim impact statement in court, Neill-Knight described the devastating loss of his mother in “harrowing” circumstances.

He said his mother had been “stolen” in a “disgusting manner” with her “dignity stripped and her body defiled”.

He told the court: “I can’t even begin to imagine how anybody could walk past a person or ignore someone in my mum’s condition leading up to her death.

“I’d help a random stranger if they were in that way, so a family member, no sane person would do what my aunt has done to a member of their family.

“My mum wasn’t just someone Michelle cared for or a job she was getting paid for. No, my mum was her only sister, her little sister.”

He added: “She was supposed to look after her. Protect her. Her own flesh and blood, that she walked past for God knows how many days before calling an ambulance.

“How could you do that…? That is pure evil.”

Mitigating, Jennifer Dempster KC said the defendant had expressed “genuine remorse” and that she would never forgive herself for what happened.

Judge Marks said he acknowledged that Michelle Neill, who suffered anxiety and depression, was “completely unable” to care for her sister and “incapable of seeking help”.

The judge said he would suspend her sentence due to her personal mitigation and because she was not likely to reoffend.

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