SHEFFIELD COUPLE JAILED FOR IMPRISONING AND NEGLECTING AUTISTIC SON
In Sheffield, residents were shocked when Lorna Hewitt, 43, and her husband Craig Hewitt, 42, the stepfather of a 23-year-old autistic man, were convicted of serious crimes linked to their son's imprisonment and neglect.The young man was confined to an attic bedroom within their family home for several months, a situation that police described as barbaric.
He was found in a severely malnourished state, with visible bones, living in a space cluttered with rubbish and human feces, and without access to clean washing or a toilet.
Medical experts testified that his calorie intake was only a few hundred per day and that he was dangerously close to death when he was hospitalized.
The court heard that his condition was so dire upon arrival at hospital that he was immediately taken into intensive care.
The couple is set to be sentenced next month after being convicted of false imprisonment and neglect offenses.
Witnesses characterized the house as a 'house of horrors,' noting the severity of the abuse, especially given the victim’s known health issues.
The investigation was prompted by a 2021 emergency call after the victim collapsed, leading police to find the locked attic room and his critical condition.
Following intervention, the victim has since made a complete recovery.
Community members expressed their shock and disgust, with some indicating limited knowledge of the couple’s lives despite Mr.
Hewitt’s involvement in neighborhood activities.
