Post by JoannaL on Aug 21, 2020 21:27:36 GMT -5
Heartless Mom Goes to Pub as Teen Daughter Lies Dying on Sofa
Sharon Goldie (above), 45, of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, ignored her 13-year-old daughter’s pleas that she was ill and left her home alone to go to the Melody Bar, where she was a regular. When she returned, Robyn was slumped on the sofa dead and an autopsy revealed she had died from perforated ulcers.
Goldie, who claimed her child was an “attention seeking” girl, pled not guilty to culpable homicide and was allowed to instead plead guilty to a charge of willfully mistreating and neglecting her teenage daughter.
During the proceedings, the High Court in Glasgow learned the child had been in Goldie’s custody until age 4, at which time she went to live with her grandmother and had a “stable life” until she returned to Goldie in 2017 for the purpose of attending high school. Social workers monitoring the home noted there was tension between Robyn and her mother.
Ashley Edwards, QC, who prosecuted the case, said Robyn was unhappy about her mother’s drinking and often went to the Melody Bar in search of her wayward parent, which Goldie resented.
On one occasion, the teen was hungry and asked a neighbor for £1 to purchase food, explaining all she’d had to eat that day was yogurt. The neighbor, who described the girl as “thin, dirty and unkempt,” reported Goldie’s neglect of her daughter to social services, but said, “nothing was done.” He told the court, the negligent mother should have been charged with causing Robyn’s death. “In my opinion, justice has not been done. I don’t understand how a mother could walk past her dead child like that. It’s hard to believe.
“There were always loud bangs and shouting from the flat,” he continued. “We reported her many times. Once, social workers spoke to us and we told them everything we knew, but they did nothing. I feel sad for her [Robyn]. We didn’t know she was in such bad condition or we would have taken her to hospital. It wouldn’t have been a problem. I hope that she [Goldie] is given a sentence that does justice for Robyn.”
Goldie and her daughter lived in an apartment – which neighbors said reeked of cat urine – in a housing development. Social workers and other visitors noted that in addition to the filthy, flea-infested home, Goldie also failed to keep up the outside of her domicile: there were tall weeds growing between the paving slabs in the front yard and she allowed debris to accumulate on the premises.
A few months prior to her death, the child was found to have a rash caused by fleas. Another time, Goldie failed to pay the gas bill and Robyn called the gas company and complained she was cold. The week before she died, the teenager complained of feeling soreness in her stomach and legs for which she was given pain medication.
There were reports Goldie had actually spat on her child and it was common knowledge the girl lacked proper food or clothing. Additionally, the mother did not ensure her daughter went to bed at a proper hour or attended school on a regular basis. Robyn also told people her mother constantly let her know she wasn’t welcome in her home and had offered her marijuana and alcohol.
On Saturday, July 21, 2018, Goldie told staff members at the Melody Bar she had “locked” Robyn in the house “so she couldn’t get out.” The following day, the girl complained to a friend she was ill and hadn’t eaten in days. Two days later, she texted her grandmother saying she felt “a lot better,” however, a friend of Goldie’s who saw the child the same day told the unconcerned mother, “She’s just not well.”
On the night of Tuesday, the 24th, the child told her mother she had “pain all over,” but Goldie refused to seek medical attention for her daughter. A friend of Goldie’s offered to call a taxi to take her to the hospital, but Goldie stopped him, saying the girl just wanted attention. The next day, Robyn (above) begged a neighbor to call an ambulance because she couldn’t breathe, but again, Goldie ignored her daughter and demanded she get back inside the apartment, telling her ambulances were for people who had heart attacks.
On Thursday, July 26, 2018, the day Robyn died, a social worker turned up in the morning to take Robyn to a catering class. “Goldie spoke ... through the letterbox, explaining that Robyn was not well and had been unwell since the previous Thursday,” Ms. Edwards told the court.
The mother continued to ignore her daughter’s pleas for help and went to the pub, returning later with a friend to find Robyn slumped on the sofa, unresponsive. Nevertheless, “Goldie and the man got another drink from the fridge and went outside ‘because the weather was nice,’” the prosecutor continued.
It was the friend who had the presence of mind to check on the child, by which time she was dead. When the ambulance arrived, Goldie told paramedics, “She’s at it.” After she was informed her daughter was dead, Goldie wailed, “No, she can’t be!”
Goldie told police she thought her daughter had a bug, but was getting better and just “trying to wind me up.” She also admitted telling Robyn ambulances were for people with heart attacks.
Robyn’s fellow students at Clyde Valley High School described the young teen as “caring” and an “angel” and left bouquets of flowers and other items in front of Sharon Goldie’s poorly maintained residence.
The postmortem revealed the child had developed peritonitis (inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal wall covering the abdominal organs, usually a result of a fungal or bacterial infection). In Robyn’s case, the bacterial infection resulted from a perforated ulcer. A senior medic told the court had the teenager been treated during her illness, she would likely have survived.
The court was also informed that Goldie suffered a brain injury following a motor vehicle accident when she was a child. Additionally, in 2003, she was hospitalized for mental health issues, but stopped taking her medication.
“It is a serious case, but I want more information before deciding what to do,” the judge, Lord John Beckett, told Goldie. He continued her bail until she returns to court for sentencing next month.
Sources: Abbi Garton, The Scottish Sun, August 21, 2020; BBC News, August 21, 2020; and GlasgowLive, August 2, 2018.
