Wife ‘enslaved’ disabled husband and used him as ‘cash cow’ as she had affair with his carer, court told
Sarah Somerset-How and George Webb on trial charged with holding a person in slavery
Matt MathersA wife used her disabled husband as a “cash cow” while she had an affair with his carer and spent his money on DJ equipment , holidays , expensive dinners and lingerie, a court was told. Over a 10 year period, 49 year old Sarah Somerset-How and carer 50 year old George Webb allegedly “enslaved” & isolated her husband Tom, confining him to his bed, as they spent his money while treating him “like a piece of property”.
The 40-year-old, an intelligent history graduate with cerebral palsy, was left as a “prisoner in his own home”, a jury was told. The pair allegedly left wheelchair & bed bound Mr Somerset How – who is 80 percent blind and needs specialist 24-hour care – in bed for majority of the time, only allowing him a shower once a week and he even went for a whole year without brushing his teeth.
For food he would be left with only a packet of chips and a sandwich, the court heard, while the pair carried out their plan to “ostracise” him from his loving family. The jury was told that Mr Somerset-How eventually managed to raise the alarm about his treatment to his friend who quickly alerted his parents & the police .
They then staged a rescue mission with police and social services, “an operation that had the marks of extracting someone as a hostage”, the court heard.
The court heard that Mr Somerset-How met his wife in 2008 through Gina Zeelie, a friend who worked with Mrs Somerset-How at the time he was living in sheltered accommodation recovering from surgery . In 2010, they got married & moved into a purpose-built bungalow in Chichester, West Sussex, and had 24-hour care paid for by social services during the week, with his wife providing weekend cover.
Mr Webb, working for healthcare agency NursePlus, arrived in 2016 to help care for him full time, with the three of them living in the same house. This then transitioned into private care, paid for by Tom at a rate of £4,000 a month. Over the next four months, the alleged ill treatment worsened.
At work, Mrs Somerset-How bragged to her eager colleagues about what she was getting up to with her new lover & even told them how she and Mr Webb would have passionate xes in the sitting room after her husband had gone to bed. Little did they know Mr Somerset How could hear everything but was powerless to intervene. He could only confront the pair via text saying he can hear xes sounds and asked what was going on. They said they were discussing his care and barked at him to go back to sleep.
The jury heard how On one occasion, mr Somerset had soiled the bed, and mr webb brought him to the shower and repeatedly sprayed him in the face with it, calling him dirty , vile and scum. he said at the time he felt like he was being suffocated. He became a prisoner in his own home. He was entirely dependent on his abusers to stay alive.
Mr Somerset said mr Webb was a 'really good carer' at first and there were 'absolutely no issues', but within a year the affair started & things quickly declined. Over time, small changes meant Mr Somerset felt it 'became harder to request help' for things like going to the toilet. He said: 'When I asked for help, he would do it really quickly, like it was a chore.'
When asked by prosecutor Paul Cavin KC why he didn't complain to Mr Webb's agency, he said he was frightened & would be met with abuse & threats'. He continued: 'I would go entire weeks without getting out of bed, except for when I desperately needed the toilet. At one point, I went for five weeks in bed. 'I would have to text my wife when she was at work to ask if she could help me to the toilet when she got home. I would have a urine bottle which wouldn't be emptied until She got home.There were multiple times when I just couldn't hold it. There were days when I had to stay there in my mess until She came home to sort me out. 'I told Sarah this wasn't acceptable, but she would just shrug. They would shut the curtains to stop people from seeing in. They would be shut all day. I felt like it was no longer my own home.'
Mr Somerset also told the jury about the moment he stopped receiving visitors at home. He said: 'At one point, my mum came round to drop off a blanket in an unexpected visit. mr Webb became enraged He was screaming at her. From what I heard, it sounded like he was in her face, screaming at her for five minutes. After she left, he came straight in and said, "no one is ever coming over again. Not even for a cup of tea".' Eventually his family and friends stopped coming over due to the verbal abuse they got when they attempted to see him.
During this time, Mr Somerset claims mr Webb threw a shoe at him in anger. He told the jury: 'George got really angry. I didn't see what he threw because I shut my eyes out of fear but it felt like a shoe. Sarah was there in the room and just got me a cold, wet tea towel to hold against my face. I still have a small indentation where it hit me.'
The couple deny all charges . The trail continues .
Source:https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....ved-disabled-husband-affair-b2319776.html?amp
