Mum, 48, who slowly starved her daughter to death faces jail after body found ‘severely emaciated & covered in scabs’

A MUM who slowly starved her daughter to death faces jail after pleading guilty to gross negligent manslaughter.

Elaine Clarke, 49, has admitted killing her disabled daughter Debbie Leitch, 24, whose body was found "severely emaciated and covered in scabs".

The 24-year-old, who had Down's Syndrome, was found dead in a house in Blackpool, Lancs., by emergency services in August 2019.

A post-mortem revealed that Debbie's cause of death was severe emaciation and neglect and that she had an extensive scabies skin infection.

Six people were arrested in connection with her death.

Clarke was charged with gross negligent manslaughter.

Her former partner Robert Bruce, 45, from Leeds, West Yorks., was charged with allowing or causing the death of a vulnerable adult but the charge against him was later dropped.

Clarke previously pleaded not guilty to killing her vulnerable daughter but changed her plea just 10 days before the case was due to go to trial.

She will be sentenced on February 7.

Judge Amanda Justice Yip told her: "You are well aware of the inevitable outcome that you will be going to prison, and I think the time has come that I am going to remand you to prison to make sure you are here on time on the next occasion.

She added: "As far as (Mr Bruce) is concerned, a not guilty verdict has been entered and (he) will be released."