A woman shared shocking messages with her sister as their dying mum lay in a faeces-strewn bed that was crawling with maggots.
Catherine Purcell, 68, died while being eaten alive and lying in a “cesspit of her own faeces and bodily fluid” at the home she shared with her daughter in Kirkby, Liverpool.
This week, her husband John Purcell, 72, and 35-year-old daughter Catherine Purcell junior, 35, were given suspended jail sentences for neglecting the disabled great-grandmother.
Prosecutors said the great-grandmother’s bed was so soiled it had been chemically destroyed by her own bodily fluids, the Liverpool Echo reported.
David McLachlan, QC, prosecuting, said this reaction burned the skeletal victim’s skin and her infected body was then fed on by maggots.
He argued during that the pair knew she was dying, but failed to seek medical aid, which three weeks beforehand would have saved her life.
During the harrowing trial into the death of Mrs Purcell, Mr McLachlan read out messages exchanged between Purcell junior and her sister Kellie, who had not visited the house for six months and was not charged with any offences.
The messages were sent days before the pensioner died on July 11, 2016, and included Purcell junior likening her mum to a “pig lying in s***”.
One message read: “Ye girl co dad said fore to just ignore her for a bit and let her do with put cuppa tea and biffs let’s see if she’ll give in that way but every time one of us walk in she gets worse surly she can smell it in her f***ing hands when she smoking
“Oh I jus don’t know what to do coz she can’t walk so I can’t even get her to the bath room to giv her a bath and no matter what way we look at her were gona end up with this all over use as well even if she could walk she’s gonna have us plasted in s*** as well she’s just not assed to say the least girl either she isn’t a bit bothered that she’s like that she licks off if we tell he to at least wash her hands to eat her tea etc.
“She f***ing flipped on dad av few times now coz she’s had to get wash she like pig lying in her Own s*** descusting I feel like f***ing dragging her by the head and f***ing throwing her in the f***ing bath tats how bad she is girl.”
In one text, Kellie Purcell asked: “Have u sorted little room yet girl I got bedding for single and double here just finishing sorting curtain now sweat p***ing out of me like tap carnt breath & I stink.”
Her sister replied: “No have I f*** girl I can’t be assed what’s the point am going to jail any how so dads keeps telling me.”
“The f***ing point is it needs doing oh I be round in morning,” came the reply.
Other messages appeared to show Kellie Purcell offering to help out but being repeatedly ignored by her sister.
And she lashed out at her sibling in another message, accusing her of “pure laziness” for not helping their mum.
She wrote: “I agree about mum if use would of let Carers in u would have been better but the state the house is in cath and me mum got f*** all to do with not being able to cope it pure laziness.”
A post-mortem examination found Mrs Purcell died from pneumonia, dehydration and skin ulcers, including a hip ulcer penetrating to the bone.
The victim, who weighed just five and a half stone, also had undiagnosed cancer of the tongue, which would have made swallowing painful.
Mr Purcell claimed he didn’t realise his wife was “severely malnourished”, or her stained legs covered in sores, despite changing her clothes.
He accepted her bedroom was “disgraceful”, but said he didn’t know it was that filthy until she died, because the bed was covered by a duvet.
Lawyers acting for Catherine jnr – who chose not to give evidence – said she was devoted to her mum, but let her “demanding” dad take over.
Jurors found them both not guilty of manslaughter, but guilty of wilful neglect, after a 15-day trial and nearly 20 hours of deliberation.
Mr Purcell showed no emotion, while Catherine jnr burst into tears, following the 10-1 majority verdicts, after one juror was discharged.
Mrs Purcell suffered from Korsakoff’s Syndrome, an alcoholism-related vitamin deficiency disease, resulting in chronic memory problems.
Catherine jnr, whose son, then aged 11, also lived at the house, was her mum’s carer and received £62 per week in Carer’s Allowance.
Prosecutors said the victim was estranged from her husband, of Quarry Green, Kirkby, but he still visited daily and often slept over.
John Purcell was given an 18-month sentence by a High Court judge this week, while Catherine Purcell junior was given a 12 month term, both suspended for two years.
