Advertisement

Debbie Leitch: Lancashire mother, 49, admits killing her 24-year-old daughter

A mother from Lancashire has admitted the manslaughter of her 24-year-old daughter.

Debbie Leitch's body was found by police when they were called to an address in Blackpool on 29 August 2019.

A post-mortem examination found the cause of death was severe emaciation and neglect and the victim had also been suffering from an extensive scabies skin infection.

Elaine Clarke, 49, initially pleaded not guilty to the unlawful killing of Debbie Leitch.

But Clarke, of Garden Terrace, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at a later hearing, a spokeswoman for Preston Crown Court said.

The spokeswoman said at a hearing on Friday that the Crown Prosecution Service decided to offer no evidence in respect of Clarke's co-defendant Robert Bruce.

Bruce was charged with causing or allowing the death of Ms Leitch, a vulnerable adult, between January 2019 and August 2019 while he was a member of the same household.

Clarke has been remanded in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing on 7 February.

Watch the latest videos from Sky News