A couple who subjected a vulnerable man in their care to months of abuse and what prosecutors described as “deliberate cruelty” have been sentenced to life in prison for his murder.

Rubin Blount, 28, died in hospital in November 2022 after suffering severe injuries, malnutrition and dehydration. His stepbrother Kenneth Newton, 58, and Newton’s partner, Melanie James, 64, were convicted of his murder and sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Friday.

Both defendants were given life sentences with a minimum term of 21 years.

The court heard that Blount weighed only 40 kilograms (about 88 pounds) at the time of his death. He had been forced to stand for long periods, left to lie in his own urine and made to eat food from bins at the property where he lived in Tamworth, Staffordshire.

Newton and James also filmed themselves mocking and abusing Blount, with footage later presented to the jury during their trial.

Prosecutor Jennifer Josephs KC told the sentencing hearing that Blount was “considerably mentally impaired” and particularly vulnerable. She said the abuse and violence continued for months and described the defendants’ treatment of him as cruel.

Blount became seriously ill on November 27, 2022, and was taken to hospital. He suffered a cardiac arrest shortly after arriving and was resuscitated by doctors.

Medical examinations found that he was severely dehydrated and malnourished and had extensive pneumonia and a serious infection. Doctors also discovered numerous injuries, including rib and spine fractures, burns, lesions and grazes.

Police said Blount had suffered 50 rib fractures. He died three days after being admitted to hospital.

At Stafford Crown Court, Mrs Justice Jefford said Newton and James had been in a position of trust toward Blount but had abused that position. The judge also said they had shown an “abject failure to help him when he was in pain and suffering.”

James cried in the dock as prosecutors described the abuse and violence inflicted on Blount. Newton remained with his head down during the sentencing hearing.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Blount’s mother, Jeanette Blount, said her son was vulnerable and deserved “compassion, dignity and a chance to live his life.”

The couple will remain in prison for life, with the court setting a minimum term of 21 years before they can be considered for release.

SOURCE: BBC News, Richard Price – West Midlands, September 25, 2026.