ESG Enforcement Tracker

Key facts:

Amanda Wixon was convicted for modern day slavery offences after keeping a vulnerable woman captive for more than 20 years and forcing her to do manual labour.

Gloucester Crown Court heard, during a 13-day trial, that the victim had known Wixon since childhood through family connections. Wixon assumed responsibility of the victim and moved her into the family home, where she kept her locked in the house.  

Despite Wixon claiming benefits for the victim, the victim was deprived of that money. The victim was forced to live in poverty and squalid conditions. Wixon would allow the victim to have one meal a day, but this was often leftover food. Wixon controlled the victim’s actions, denying the victim from washing herself but making her run baths for Wixon and bathing the children.

Wixon was also found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The victim was regularly beaten if she did not complete jobs around the home. The victim described how Wixon strangled her, put her head down the toilet and poured cleaning fluids on her face and down her throat.

The victim had secret mobile phones. Upon discovering one of these, Wixon used the phone to give the victim a black eye and then smashed the phone with a hammer. In March 2021, the victim fell ill and used another hidden mobile phone to call someone she knew for help. The police arrived at Wixon’s address that same day.

At Gloucester Crown Court on 12 March, Wixon was sentenced to 13 years in prison.  Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher of the Gloucestershire Police said that Wixon continues to deny having done anything wrong and has shown no remorse.  In a statement, the victim said, ‘Nothing can give me back the 25 years I lost’.