Sally Smithson, 61, spent three weeks sleeping in the bed next to her partner’s body after he died(Image: Thames Valley Police)
A woman who slept next to her partner’s dead body for three weeks has been jailed. Sally Smithson, 61 admitted one charge of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body.
John Blackwell, died around October 1 last year – with his body not discovered by police until October 21, a court heard.
Prosecuting, Charles Ward-Jackson, told Oxford Crown Court Mr Blackwell’s body was in an advanced stage of decomposition when it was discovered. The court also heard how Mr Blackwell, 71, had suffered from a serious heart condition, reports the Mirror.
His suspected cause of death was a heart attack, the court heard. The prosecutor said the relationship between Smithson and Mr Blackwell had been “turbulent” and had involved “drunken arguments and domestic violence.” The court also heard that Smithson had a number of previous convictions of violence against Mr Blackwell. Ensure our latest news and sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings
Mr Ward-Jackson said: “Police found his body on the bedroom floor. He was flat on his back and naked. He was in an advanced stage of decomposition. There were no signs of injuries. The TV was on and the bed was slept in. The defendant had been sleeping in the bed for three weeks.”
Mr Ward-Jackson said the last time Mr Blackwell had been seen alive was on September 19. He told the court the couple’s cleaner had been cancelled numerous times around that period, which caused her to grow suspicious.
Neighbours also saw erratic behaviour from Smithson, who was reported to be seen peering through windows. Text messaqges were also sent from Mr Blackwell’s phone after his death as Smithson attempted to cover up the truth. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here
She told people that Mr Blackwell had ‘gone out’ or was recovering from a visit to hospital when they asked where he was. It was the couple’s cleaner that called police on October 21, and when officers arrived Smithson told them Mr Blackwell was upstairs and had died three weeks earlier.
Peter Du Feu, mitigating, said: “On the weekend it happened, there were two phone calls to the coroner’s office. She said that was her immediate instinct. But then, she put her head in the sand. She is remorseful and has a deep understanding of what happened. She is facing up to this and is very upset indeed.”
Sally, from Clare near Thame in South Oxfordshire, was sentenced on Friday, February 20. Sentencing Smithson to 14 months, Judge Michael Gledhill KC told her: “It’s a tragedy to see you in the doc of this court. You led a perfectly honest and sensible life before you first appeared in court in 2018. The relationship was volatile.
“The deceased appears to have died from natural causes. You must have been sleeping next to his dead body for about three weeks. This was a very grave and serious offence. It was an affront to the standards of public decency.”
