Mum and Grandma of Leeds teenager convicted of manslaughter

The mum and grandma of a Leeds teenager - who was said to be allowed to "rot to death" - have been convicted of manslaughter.

18-year-old Jordan Burling was found in shocking conditions and weighed less than 6 stone when paramedics were finally called in.

Prosecutors claimed that the teenager, who was covered in bed sores, resembled a victim of a Second World War death camp following neglect by his 45-year-old mother, Dawn Cranston and his grandmother, Denise Cranston, 70.

The pair showed no emotion as they were told that they had been found guilty of manslaughter by unanimous verdict on Tuesday.

Jordan's 25-year-old sister Abigail Burling was cleared of manslaughter but convicted of causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable person.

It's led to claims Jordan Burling was "invisible to the authorities''.

The young man had a very troubled life but only had minimal contact with state agencies, including the education system.

Prosecutor Nicholas Lumley QC told Leeds Crown Court: "We do not pretend that Jordan Burling had an especially healthy or happy life, even in his early years.''

Paramedic Bridget Shepherd, who rushed to his aid, claimed the dying man looked "very, very pale and very emaciated'' when she first attempted to treat him on June 30 2016, the day of his death.

A series of witnesses claimed that the 18-year-old's mother "did not seem bothered'' as medics attempted to revive him with CPR, whilst Denise Cranston supposedly remained seated in a nearby armchair.

Dawn Cranston was even heard telling a 999 operator shortly before Mr Burling's death that his unresponsive state was a "blessing'' as it meant she would not have to go work that day.

Police Constable Ben McNamara, who arrived at the home of Dawn and Denise Cranston just hours after the teenager's death, claimed that the first thing the deceased's mother asked him was how much the funeral would cost.

Referencing the comment, he said: "I was surprised by everyone's lack of emotion. It is a strange thing to say after he had just died.''

The court heard that he attended his local primary school, where he soiled himself and defecated on the floor.

Teachers noted he had head lice and his teeth were in a very poor state.

Soon after he went to Farnley Park High School, his mother wrote to the council telling them that he was going to be educated at home.

He was home-schooled'' from the age of 12, jurors were told.

"He never attended school or college again, never took any examinations or achieved any qualifications,'' Mr Lumley said.

From the time Jordan was taken out of school, he became increasingly anonymous. Education and social services played little part in his life.''

The jury was told that Jordan had not been seen by the family doctor for years before he died.

And he had not seen a dentist since 2009, when 16 of his teeth were treated, including four extractions.

Mr Lumley said: "He only really had contact with his immediate family.

"He may have been invisible to the authorities but not so to these defendants."

Gerry Wareham from the CPS said:

“This is one of the most shocking cases CPS Yorkshire and Humberside has ever dealt with.

“These women had a duty of care towards Jordan. However, the CPS showed the court that instead they allowed him to rot to death in his own home.

“His bed sores were so deep they left bone exposed and when he died, he weighed less than six stone. An expert said it was the worst case of malnutrition they have seen in 26 years’ experience, and likened Jordan’s condition to that of a World War Two concentration camp victim.

“Words cannot begin to convey the extent of Jordan’s terrible suffering at the hands of the very people he should have been able to trust the most. Those responsible for that suffering have been found guilty of causing his death.”