Family want justice after great-grandma's body found badly decomposed despite welfare checks

*Some of the descriptions in this article may be distressing.

The daughter of a vulnerable woman says she wants “justice” for her mum, whose body was found badly decomposed, despite being the subject of weekly welfare checks by housing association staff.

The grieving family of Christine Lawton claims her autopsy report and bank records prove the great-grandmother had passed away in her high-rise flat a fortnight before she was discovered – one week earlier than Southern Housing says.

To add to the family’s distress, following a visit from a cleaning crew, they found Ms Lawton’s personal possessions dumped, unbagged, on the soiled bed where she had died.

Now, 18 months later, the Housing Ombudsman has launched an investigation into Southern Housing’s actions before and after the passing of Ms Lawton, who died of natural causes.

Ms Lawton, who struggled with poor mobility, alcoholism and mental health issues, moved into Bevin Court, Hastings, in November 2020, shortly after her partner’s death from cancer.

She was befriended by the then-housing manager, who helped her sort out her bills and arranged fireproof bedding after Ms Lawton accidentally set her bed alight.

However, after she left, Ms Lawton’s relationship with the housing managers deteriorated. After declining help from adult social care, Ms Lawton agreed to weekly welfare checks every Thursday.

When police broke into Ms Lawton’s 11th-floor flat on 3 July 2024, they found her badly decomposed body in bed.

Daughter Jakki, who lives in Surrey but had regular contact with her mum, last spoke to the 71-year-old on 20 June. Ms Lawton’s bank card was last used on the same date.

But Southern Housing maintains that their housing manager had spoken to Ms Lawton, who lived alone, on 27 June, six days before she was found. Southern Housing was unable to confirm to Big Issue whether this contact had been made in person or over the phone.

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“Southern Housing was adamant that the housing manager had spoken to her on the Thursday before she was found. But I spoke to the coroner and they confirmed that even with the summer heat, she would have been there two weeks or more,” said Jakki.

“How could they have spoken to mum the week before she was found when she was already gone?”

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Big Issue reached out to HM Coroner’s Service East Sussex, only to be deferred back to the family as “the most appropriate point of contact”.

No inquest was opened into Ms Lawton’s death, but the coroner’s report makes for grim reading. By the time Ms Lawton’s body was found, it was in an “advanced state of decomposition”, riddled with maggots and showing signs of mummification around the chest. The skin had started to blacken, which typically happens around 10 to 20 days after death, depending on environmental factors.

“For her eyes to be missing too, she must have been there longer than Southern Housing says,” added Jakki.

Concerned that Southern Housing had not been listening to her growing unease about her mother’s welfare, Jakki travelled the 70 miles from her home to Hastings, only to arrive as police were removing Ms Lawton’s body from the flat.

In response to a complaint from the family, Southern said the housing manager had acted in line with guidance from her line manager and police not to contact the family directly to update them, and stayed on site “well beyond her scheduled hours to offer support”.

A neighbour told the family they had reported a “rotting smell” to the property manager a week before the body was found, but it was attributed to hoarding. A spokesperson for Southern Housing said they had no record of a complaint.

Still reeling from the distressing sight of her mother’s body being recovered, Jakki and her daughter finally summoned up the strength to return to Bevin Court on 20 July to retrieve Ms Lawton’s personal belongings.

But despite a so-called “courtesy environmental clean” that Southern called a “gesture of sensitivity”, the pair were horrified to find the bacteria-laden bed still in situ.

“They piled all the things we could have salvaged, loads of mum’s personal belongings, on top of all the decomposed matter on the bed [pictured], so we couldn’t take them,” Jakki said.

“The bed was a biohazard and was supposed to be sealed, but it wasn’t. It was pretty grim.”

The visit took its toll on Jakki and her daughter Jade, who were forced to seek counselling following the upsetting incident.

“My daughter and I both have PTSD from going to the flat. In fact, I’m still having nightmares about it,” said Jakki. “I shouldn’t have been made to feel that way about my mum. They should never have let us in there.”

In a letter to Jakki, Southern Housing admitted that an instruction to remove the bed had been omitted from the original job order and apologised.

But Jakki said: “Southern Housing has not been sympathetic to how mum was found. They need to learn from this for sure.”

She added: “I just want justice for my mum. It wasn’t her fault.

“If I can save just one family from all this, then I’m as happy as this situation can make me.”

The Housing Ombudsman confirmed it is investigating Southern Housing’s complaint handling, as well as safety and staff conduct at Bevin Court, among other issues raised by the family.

A spokesperson from Southern Housing said: “Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Ms Lawton’s family and friends.

“Ms Lawton, who lived at our high-rise independent living scheme Bevin Court, was checked weekly, every Thursday, by our team. She was happy with this arrangement and made clear she didn’t want any additional support from the local authority’s adult social care and health team.

“Our Scheme Housing Officer would visit the flat in person to check on Ms Lawton’s wellbeing if phone calls were not answered. These welfare checks are part of a light-touch support offered within independent living settings and captured on a register when they are completed.

“The frequency was agreed with Ms Lawton, and these weekly welfare checks continued up until her passing. The last recorded visits took place on 20 June 2024 and 27 June 2024, and six days later, on 3 July 2024, Ms Lawton’s body was discovered.

“We wanted to do everything we could to support Ms Lawton’s family at an incredibly difficult and emotional time. Although it was not part of our duties as a landlord, we arranged an environmental clean of the property after discovering significant amounts of rubbish and spoiled food.

“We also explained to the family that the bed and other personal items had not been removed beforehand. The responsibility for clearing personal belongings rests with the next of kin, and we would not dispose of someone’s possessions without permission.

“The family were made aware of the condition of the property, but still wished to visit, and we ensured they were fully supported throughout. Our Scheme Housing Officer, who had been in close contact with them from the beginning, accompanied them during their visit.

“Our independent living residents have the option to leave a key in a secure safe outside their property to allow quicker access in emergencies. While we strongly encourage this, it isn’t something we can enforce at an independent living scheme and it’s up to individual residents if they choose to do this.

“We appreciate this remains a difficult time for Ms Lawton’s family and continue to extend our condolences following their loss.”

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