A woman kept a teenager locked in her property for 25 years as a ‘house slave’ and subjected her to horror conditions – including making the victim live off scraps and splashing bleach in her face

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Amanda Wixon was jailed for 13 years(Image: PA)

A woman who was kept as a “house slave” for 25 years shared a powerful message after the horror ordeal she suffered through.

Amanda Wixon, 56, subjected the woman to a quarter of a century of abuse at her squalid home in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. The victim, who is now in her mid-40s, was 16 when she moved into the mum-of-10’s home, back in 1995, and remained there until 2021. A court heard how the victim – who now refers to Wixon as The Witch – was regularly beaten and also hit with a broom handle, knocking out her teeth.

A strong letter from the imprisoned woman was read out during sentencing at Gloucester Crown Court, where Wixon was jailed for 13 years today.

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The 56-year-old was found guilty after she forced a teen to work as a ‘house slave’ for 25 years(Image: PA)

During the sentencing hearing, Sam Jones, prosecuting, read to the court a note the victim had written. She said: “For 25 years, I lived in fear, control and abuse. I was treated as though my life, my freedom and my voice did not matter.

“Although my abuser has now been found guilty, the trauma and the nightmares are something I still carry with me every day. I am now living with a wonderful family who show me kindness, patience and support.

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The horror room the victim’s was forced to live in(Image: PA)

“Their love is helping me slowly rebuild the life that was taken from me and begin to feel safe again. Nothing can give me back the 25 years I lost. But I hope the court recognises the deep and lasting harm this abuse has caused and delivers a sentence that truly reflects the seriousness of these crimes.”

The court heard the shocking conditions the mum-of-10 inflicted on the victim. This included squirting washing-up liquid down her throat, splashing bleach on her face and limiting her food.

She was forced to live off scraps, could not leave the house and was forced to secretly wash at night. The family home in the Priors Park area of Tewkesbury was also overcrowded and in a squalid condition – mould was pictured on the walls and rubbish in the garden.

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Bodycam footage showing Wixon’s arrest(Image: PA)

Wixon was found guilty by a jury of false imprisonment, two charges of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, and four charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. She was acquitted of one of the assault charges.

Police went to the house in March 2021 in response to a report made by one of Wixon’s sons about the woman. Officers described the woman’s bedroom as looking like a “prison cell”, with other bedrooms untidy and dirty.

One neighbour described the woman as “looking like something out of a concentration camp”. Another saw her looking like “skin and bone” with a shaved head and described seeing her being hit with a broom.

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The walls in the home had mould(Image: PA)

The court heard social services were involved with the family in the late 1990s but there were no records of any contact since. The court also heard Wixon had for many years claimed the woman’s state benefits – pocketing at least £100,000.

Wixon denied all the charges and blamed her estranged son Clint for suggesting things to the woman. Judge Lawrie said Wixon was in “permanent denial” about the impact of her offending on the woman.