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High Court orders fresh inquest into girl, 5, who was scalded in a bath by her stepmother in 1978

Janice Nix, jailed in June for 12 years for the manslaughter of her stepdaughter Andrea Bernard, whose brother Desmond Bernard told Croydon Police the truth about her 1978 death after decades of silence.
Janice Nix, jailed in June for 12 years for the manslaughter of her stepdaughter Andrea Bernard, whose brother Desmond Bernard told Croydon Police the truth about her 1978 death after decades of silence.
Andrea Bernard, who died weeks after sustaining burns across more than half her body, after a High Court judge ruled a fresh inquest into her 1978 death is in the interests of justice.
Andrea Bernard, who died weeks after sustaining burns across more than half her body, after a High Court judge ruled a fresh inquest into her 1978 death is in the interests of justice.

Lord Justice Singh has quashed the 1978 accidental death verdict on Andrea Bernard, ruling a new inquest is in the 'interests of justice'. Her brother Desmond Bernard, only eight at the time, corroborated his stepmother's account of events. In 2022 he went to Croydon Police Station and told officers the truth about what had happened. Janice Nix, 68, was jailed for 12 years for manslaughter in June.

Andrea sustained burns across more than half her body and died weeks later from complications.

Nix beat the children with belts and forced Desmond to eat cat food.

Nix was a former drug dealer who became an award-winning probation officer.

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