Til Death Do Us Part

[retrocop]

Hard to believe people live like this. "I loved every bone in her body"he said.
All they could come up with was Hoarding Disorder?

https://metro.co.uk/2019/10/11/selfish-pensioner-whose-dying-wife-found-covered-maggots-jailed-10899156/?ico=pushly-notifcation-small&utm_source=pushly

[ummmm]

It wasn't sarcasm, danny, I read the article before I made a comment so you didn't have to waste your time telling me what I've already read.

I do not think sending him to prison serves any purpose.

[dannyk13]

Barsel, I am sure that the court considered all the facts before sentence was passed, and he was represented by a barrister.The problem with this sort of thing is that we seldom get to know all that went on in the court.

[ludwig]

ummmm // I also don't think jailing him would do anyone any good. //

I don't know. Perhaps being forced into an environment where it's going to be impossible to behave in the same manner for an extended period of time might break the addiction to it.

Irrespective of that, prison is where he deserves to be.

[davebro]

The hoarding is one thing - whether due to mental illness or not. But to leave your partner to suffer & die in filth when she could have been helped is beyond the pale. I think his punishment is appropriate.

[Barsel]

To try to put it into perspective. One of my neighbours is a known hoarder. For the 10years he has lived here I have never seen him put any of his bins out. His curtains are permanently closed and you can tell there is stuff pushing the curtains into his windows. His car, which he doesn't drive is also filled full of rubbish and you cannot see into his back garden because his hedges are too tall. However, it's how he wants to live and he cannot cause danger to anyone as he lives on his own. The neighbours of the woman who died should have raised the alarm if they knew what the house was like and if she hadn't been seen for a while. I'm not sure who you would report this to, but there must be something they could have done if the man seemed to be incapable of getting help himself.

[dannyk13]

Barsel
//
Neighbours said they were shocked at what had happened and were entirely unaware.//

[Barsel]

I don't believe that for one minute, do you danny? The wife had been sitting in a chair for months. If I suddenly stopped seeing one of my neighbours, I would go over to enquire if they are ok, and if they had done that, I'm sure the smell that must have been coming from the property would have shown that something was not right.

[davebro]

Barsel - I think maybe you should ask social services to visit YOUR neighbour!

[agchristie]

I can picture the scene in the courtroom.... The foreman of the jury stands and pronounces Mr Wallach 'Guilty'!!

Audible sighs and gasps are heard! 8 years! 8 years! My oh my!

Oh yes! There was a definite buzz about the place...

[dannyk13]

Barsel //I don't believe that for one minute, do you danny?//
Probably not, but then again I am lucky enough to have good neighbours, which I suppose was not the case here.

[Barsel]

davebro, Along with other neighbours and especially the elderly lady who lives next door to him, we have considered doing this, but he does not even open his door to anyone. To gain access to his property they would end up involving the police, and as he is an elderly gentleman with a heart condition, I would not like to be responsible for what might happen to him if this were to happen. Plus, the only harm he could be doing is to himself, and that's his choice. He is actually a very intelligent man and I'm sure he would know if he needed help.

[Barsel]

Quite right danny.

[davebro]

"He is actually a very intelligent man and I'm sure he would know if he needed help."

I'm sure your man is as described. My experience of hoarders is only via TV programmes and those who do get "sorted" generally seem to realise they should have got help sooner & are grateful to have had the problem mitigated - even if it does re-occur.

[Khandro]

Barsel; // OCD stands for obsessive-compulsive disorder, I don't think it's the same thing.//

Quite right. I think OCD is the overall term and Compulsive hoarding syndrome is one aspect of it.

[hereIam]

I remember reading about this at the time and it was heartbreaking what that poor, poor woman had gone through. I wondered where her two daughters were and why they didn't step in. She was only 61, what a terrible, tragic end. I'm glad the Judge spoke harshly to him and I'm glad he's been jailed. He only cared about himself.

[Barsel]

hereIam, you don't know the full story and I don't remember if it said she had 2 daughters although I did see she was described as a mother of two. There was no mention of where her children lived or how old they are, and it is possible they didn't even know of the conditions. My neighbour has a son, but the son is not allowed into the property and I do wonder what his reaction will be when the time comes for him to clear the property and he's faced with the full extent of it.

[hereIam]

Thank you for that Barsel, I know about as much as you do having read about it all and seen the pics. You are entitled to your view and I am entitled to mine. I repeat, I am glad he's been jailed. Please feel free to patronise me again, but I won't be replying to you this time.

[Barsel]

hereIam, what did I say for you to think I am patronising you? I certainly didn't mean to do that, and I wonder if you have read something different to how I meant it to sound?

[chelle7272]

Barsell //he cannot cause danger to anyone as he lives on his own. //
that is not quite true. Hoarding brings about poor sanitation attracting rodents and roaches, is a fire risk and cause structural damage. So there are risks to neighbours as well. I would report you neighbour to the local authority for his own sake.

[Barsel]

chelle7272, I must admit I'm still thinking of doing that, but I do worry also of other repercussions as he will know which of his neighbours is likely to do that and I really don't know what his reaction would be. He certainly wouldn't be happy about it. I'm a bit concerned that hereIam thinks I've been patronising toward him, and so I will leave this thread now as I am worried that perhaps I am wording things wrong.