08 February 2024 , 16:49
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A heartless mum and dad forced their young daughter to unnecessarily use a wheelchair for four years just so they could claim mobility car and disability allowance payments.
Throughout the financially-motivated scam, the girl suffered bullying at school and serious psychological harm over the "gratuitous degradation" of having to use a wheelchair. She was even subjected to multiple doctor and hospital appointments as well as in-patient hospital stays that were not even needed.
The youngster, who was seven when the abuse started, missed out on "normal childhood experiences" in a callous act that had "far-reaching consequences", Hull Crown Court heard. Louise Law, 50, of Harvest Way, Rawcliffe Bridge, near Goole in East Yorkshire, admitted an offence of child cruelty. Her ex-husband, Martin Law, 54, formerly of Marshfield Road, Goole was ruled unfit to enter a plea but a jury found that he committed the act of child cruelty.
Prosecutor Louise Reevell said that the cruelty happened between 2012 and 2017 when the couple's daughter was aged between seven and 12 - the girl was put into foster care at the age of 12. Louise Law and Martin Law both "fabricated illnesses and exaggerated symptoms" over their daughter's health and put her in the role of a "sick and disabled child".
The girl was put through unnecessary medical procedures and given unnecessary medication, including ibuprofen and paracetamol. "Some of this was to obtain enhanced welfare payments," said Mrs Reevell.
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Concerns were raised by social services and medical staff that the parents were "fabricating or exaggerating" the girl's symptoms and pretending that the sickness was real. Mrs Reevell added: "At this stage, overnight, she appeared to make a miraculous recovery and did not require a wheelchair. She stopped taking medication and started behaving like a normal, healthy child."
The victim was interviewed in September 2022 - when she was 18 - and she said that the behaviour from her parents started when she was aged five or six. A few initial medical appointments progressed to hospital appointments. She had different tests and was put on different medications.
"Her parents would tell her what to say to the doctors or her parents would do the talking for her," said Mrs Reevell. The girl was supposedly ill, was always tired and told to say that she was asleep and falling over all the time. She was put on supplement drinks and saw a dietician.
Mrs Reevell said: "She realised that she could do all the things that her parents had told her that she could not. Her parents made her start to use a wheelchair and this carried on for a period of four years until she was placed into foster care at the age of 12. She said that her parents' treatment made her completely miss out on her childhood." The family home was adapted for her with grab rails. They also received a car for her, paid for out of mobility benefit.
She was sent for physiotherapy and received medication in school even though she was not in pain. Mrs Reevell went on: "She was only allowed to have two friends to visit her home. Her parents made her think that she could not walk properly. She would go to school in a wheelchair but she didn't really need it."
When she went into foster care at the age of 12, her carer saw immediately that she stopped using a wheelchair and medication, all of which was not even needed. "She was able to run up and down stairs. She went on to join the Army cadets. She did normal activities at school. At no point while she was in foster care did she suffer any pain or tiredness.
"The whole situation had a terrible effect on her mental health. Eventually, she stopped all contact with her parents and, as time went on, her mental health declined still further. She realised that she could do all the things that her parents had told her that she could not. She was discharged from an array of health care professionals that she had been referred to over the years. These included a paediatrician," added Mrs Reevell
Medical staff suspected that illnesses had been fabricated and it was found that the only thing wrong with the girl was wheeziness and allergies. "Everything else was essentially fabricated," said Mrs Reevell, and that "This was a case of fabricated illness by the parents which could have led to some invasive investigations of treatment which wasn't required."
During an interview, the mum denied any wrongdoing and her ex-husband claimed that the illnesses and symptoms of the girl were genuine. The daughter later said in a statement that the supposed medical issues were "all lies" and that the medical tests and use of a wheelchair were all at the request of her mum and dad.
She explained: "I missed out on doing the normal things that other boys and girls were doing. My parents would tell me that I couldn't walk properly and I had a limp. I was subjected to bullying because I was in a wheelchair.
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"I missed out on doing PE. I missed out on doing the normal things that other boys and girls were doing at break time. PE was something I enjoyed doing. I was taken into care at 12 years old and I found this scary at the time.
"The wheelchair became a barrier to make relationships and friendships. I have not had the opportunity to do the ordinary childhood things that people with ordinary parents did. I could not have part-time jobs like other people have the opportunity to do.
"I have no idea why my mother would do this other than they wanted money. I have a plan for the future to get better. I am on the road to recovery now. It was wrong what my parents did and I deserve to be well. My parents should have cared for me and treated me like a daughter should be."
The girl suffered with severe depression and a consultant psychiatrist said: "She continues to experience nightmares. She continues to struggle with feelings of overwhelming and deep shame." Mrs Reevell told the court: "It was serious psychological harm for her. There were prolonged and multiple incidents of serious cruelty. There was gratuitous degradation, making her use a wheelchair for four years and deliberate disregard for her welfare."
Louise Law had no previous convictions but Martin Law had convictions. Dale Brook, mitigating for the former, said that the daughter suffered serious psychological harm, and suffered profoundly. "There is some optimism for the future but this is prolonged or multiple incidents of cruelty. This is not gratuitous degradation of a victim or sadistic behaviour," said Mr Brook.
There was a genuine medical condition at the outset in relation to the daughter's breathing and asthma. "Things spiralled out of control thereafter," he said. Louise Law pleaded guilty at a late stage. She had a very traumatic childhood and was bullied at school, making her a complex and damaged adult. Mr Brook said that it "was a toxic and wholly troubled marriage."
Martin had been convicted of two domestic violence offences against Louise, who had started a new relationship. "There have been no other offences of any kind," added Mr Brook. Oliver Shipley, representing the dad, said that the defendant was currently in a care home. He had not been brought to court. It was proposed that a guardianship order be made on him, to be overseen by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
Judge Kate Rayfield said the couple began to arrange medical appointments for the girl but, even though tests were negative, they chose to pursue the suggestion that she was unwell and floated the idea that she should use a wheelchair. There were 30 separate appointments either with a GP or hospital specialists.
She said: "You subjected her to repeated tests and investigations. You repeatedly raised the issue of her being given a wheelchair. You were repeatedly advised against it." The girl remained in a wheelchair for the next four years when she was in the public eye, including when going shopping to Hull and Doncaster, where nobody knew her.
The judge added: "She missed out on so much of her childhood because of what you put her through. Despite all of her tests revealing nothing wrong, you continued to subject her to appointments and investigations. You did the talking yourselves, telling the doctors lies. She had in-patient periods in hospital, none of which were necessary.
"She believed the lies that you told her. She missed out on so much of her childhood because of what you put her through. She was subjected to bullying, with other children telling her that she was faking it. Living life in a wheelchair at that age must have been very degrading."
Louise Law and Martin Law obtained the use of a mobility car and disability allowance payments. Judge Rayfield said: "This was a scam. You were telling her to report symptoms that she never said that she had."
"She was scared and anxious and has frequent nightmares. You caused her significant harm over a long period of time. There was serious psychological harm to her and there still is. There were all the normal childhood experiences that she missed out on."
Louise Law, formerly of Dunhill Road, Goole, was jailed for six years and nine months. Martin Law was made the subject of a guardianship order, initially for six months, but to be reviewed after that. The care home where he was staying was prepared for him to remain there on a long-term basis, said Judge Rayfield. He was not well enough to be brought to court and the case was heard in his absence.
Judge Rayfield agreed that, because the girl was now aged over 18, there was 'no power' to impose a court order.