A woman has been convicted of manslaughter and child cruelty nearly five decades after the death of her five-year-old stepdaughter, who died after being forced into a scalding hot bath in 1978. Janice Nix, 67, was arrested at Heathrow Airport upon returning from a trip to Antigua on February 18, 2025, and later charged.
Arrest and Trial
Police body footage captured Nix being taken off the plane and transported to a police station for questioning. She was subsequently charged with manslaughter and cruelty. Following a three-week trial at Isleworth Crown Court, a jury found her guilty on both counts. The conviction is believed to be the oldest homicide case handled by prosecutors in London.
The Incident
The court heard that Nix forced Andrea Bernard into boiling water at the family home in Thornton Heath, south London, in June 1978. The child cried out, "This is too hot mummy," before screaming and splashing. She suffered horrific burns to 50 percent of her body and died nearly six weeks later in the hospital from sepsis.
Brother's Testimony
Andrea's older brother, Desmond Bernard, provided crucial testimony. He initially lied as a child, describing the incident as an accident after being told to do so by Nix. In 2022, he came forward to police, recounting that he saw his sister's "skin falling off" after she was lifted from the bath. He wept in court as he described the abuse, including beatings with belts, being burned with a cigarette, and being forced to eat cat food.
Prosecution's Case
Prosecutor Kerry Broome told jurors that Nix waged a campaign of abuse against Andrea and Desmond that "went beyond chastisement even by contemporary standards." Nix, known as Janice Thomas at the time, denied the charges but was convicted after hours of deliberation. She shook her head and wept in the dock as the verdict was read.
Justice After Decades
Desmond Bernard stated, "The degrading and sometimes sadistic punishment and beatings culminated in my young sister Andrea's life being so cruelly taken away. While no verdict can bring Andrea back, I hope today's outcome sends a clear message that such actions have consequences and that victims should never be afraid to come forward."
Aisling Hosein of the Crown Prosecution Service praised Desmond's courage, saying, "This prosecution only came about after Andrea's brother reported his stepmother's actions to police in September 2022. It is thanks to him that we have been able to secure justice today on behalf of Andrea almost five decades on."
Nix was remanded in custody to be sentenced at a later date.
