Husband left stuck wife with pork pies and water

An "overbearing" husband left his wife with three pork pies and some water when she got wedged down the side of the bed. David Hargest, 65, who admitted neglect and ill-treatment, said he could not free wife Cheryl because of his bad back. The pork pies were still sitting on the mattress in their packet when police arrived at the couple's flat, the court was told.

Cardiff Crown Court, where Hargest was given a 36-week suspended sentence, heard how he failed to look after Mrs Hargest properly when he should have been caring for her. Prosecutor Jon Holmes said the relative of a neighbour, a nurse, became concerned about Mrs Hargest. "Mr Hargest was overbearing and domineering and she suggests that Mrs Hargest is, to a degree, afraid of him," Mr Holmes said.



In April, Hargest said his wife had "managed to get herself wedged between the mattresses". It had happened before, he said, but this time he could not get her out because of his back. "He said he had left her some pork pies on the mattress so she had something to eat and a bottle of water, but he had clearly left her there," Mr Holmes said.

Police could not see Mrs Hargest in the bedroom at first. They found her lying on the floor between the bed and a chest of drawers. "The police did notice there was a packet of three unopened pork pies on the mattress near to where Mrs Hargest was on the floor," he said. At hospital doctors said she was confused, dehydrated, had pressure sores on her back and showed signs of neglect.