Woman accused of killing girl in 1978 by forcing her into hot bath was 'violent', court hears

A woman accused of killing a five-year-old girl by burning her in a hot bath in 1978 subjected her stepchildren to a "cycle of violence", a court has heard.

Janice Nix, 67, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter for allegedly killing Andrea Bernard by forcing her into the bath in Thornton Heath, south London, on 6 June 1978.

She also denied cruelty to Andrea's brother, Desmond Bernard, between 1 October 1975 and 6 June 1978, when he was between seven and nine years old.

Andrea's death had been treated as an accident until her brother contacted police with new information in September 2022, Isleworth Crown Court heard as the trial began on Tuesday.

Mr Bernard told police that Andrea's immersion in the bath was not accidental and her death had "become a burden he could no longer carry", prosecutor Kerry Broome said.

It is not disputed that Andrea died in hospital on July 13 1978 from complications related to the burns.

The prosecution alleged that Nix's actions were "serious, violent, cruel, degrading and unacceptable forms of punishment - even by those standards of the late 1970s".

Nix, from Clapham, was in a relationship with the children's father, also named Desmond Bernard, and was in effect their stepmother, Ms Broome told the court.

The defendant, then known as Janice Thomas and in her late teens, had the main responsibility for the children's care as their father was often away working, jurors heard.

Mr Bernard told police that when he and Andrea had first met Nix they were rude to her, leading their father to "unsurprisingly and unremarkably" tell them off, Ms Broome said.

The next day Nix allegedly severely beat the children while their father was at work.

"This was the start of a cycle of violence, which left the children in extreme fear and terror of Janice: if the children did something Janice perceived as wrong, she would wait until their father was not around and then punish them," Ms Broome said.

The court heard Mr Bernard told police Andrea "had been blamed for something" on the evening before the bath and forbidden her from going to school.

After Andrea disobeyed this order, Nix was "fuming", Mr Bernard told police.

From his bedroom, Mr Bernard alleged he heard Nix beat Andrea and call for her to get in the bath.

"Desmond could not see what was happening in the bathroom, but he heard Andrea screaming, and saying 'it's hot, it's hot'," Ms Broome told jurors.

"Janice kept shouting at her to get in. He says 'Andrea would not stop screaming and I can't remember how long it went on for, but then it just stopped'."

When Nix told him to come into the room, Mr Bernard alleged she was cradling a "limp" Andrea in a towel.

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The prosecution alleged: "Janice seemed scared and asked him to say it was an accident and that Andrea fell into the bath."

"She promised never to hit him again if he said that, so that is what he did: he told everyone it was an accident, and Janice never hit him again."

Mr Bernard also alleged Nix hit him on the arm with a pot which left a bruise, burned his hand with a cigarette and once drew blood by biting his hand, the court heard.

On another occasion he did not clean the cat's bowl before feeding it and Nix said he needed to "see what it was like to eat cat food out of a dirty bowl, and made him eat cat food", it was alleged.

Silver-haired Nix sat in court wearing a blue jacket and trousers, a beige blouse and glasses.

The trial continues.

(c) Sky News 2026: Woman accused of killing girl in 1978 by forcing her into hot bath was 'violent', court hears