Woman jailed for sleeping next to husband's corpse for weeks

A woman has been jailed after sleeping in the same room as her husband’s decomposing body for about three weeks, a court has heard.

Sally Smithson, 61, admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body.

According to Mirror US, she continued living in the bedroom where her partner had died until police discovered the body.

Prosecutors told Oxford Crown Court that John Blackwell, 71, died around 1 October last year but was not found until 21 October.

Prosecutor Charles Ward-Jackson told Oxford Crown Court that Blackwell’s body was in an advanced stage of decomposition when police arrived.

Blackwell, who suffered from a serious heart condition, is believed to have died from a heart attack. Ward-Jackson described the couple’s relationship as ‘turbulent,’ having continual drunken arguments and instances of domestic violence.

"The police found his body on the bedroom floor. He was flat on his back and naked," the prosecutor said.

"The TV was on, and the bed had been slept in. The defendant had been sleeping in the bed for three weeks beside his body," they added.

Smithson was sentenced on February 20 and was sentenced a 14-month prison term.