John Blackwell, 71, had lived with Sally Smithson, 61, in a relationship Oxford Crown Court described as volatile in which Smithson has had several previous convictions for violence against Blackwell.
Prosecuting barrister Charles Ward-Jackson told the court the couple frequently engaged in “drunken arguments and domestic violence.”.
Around October 1, 2025, Blackwell, who suffered from a severe heart condition, died — likely from a heart attack.
No signs of injury were found on his body.
Instead of calling authorities, Smithson left him lying naked on the bedroom floor. For the next three weeks, she continued sleeping in the same bed, the television left on, as decomposition advanced.
Ward-Jackson detailed the grim discovery: “Police found his body on the bedroom floor. He was flat on his back and naked. He was in an advanced stage of decomposition. There were no signs of injuries. The TV was on and the bed was slept in. The defendant had been sleeping in the bed for three weeks.”
The last confirmed sighting of Blackwell alive was September 19.
Suspicion grew when the couple’s cleaner was repeatedly cancelled.
Neighbours noticed Smithson’s erratic behaviour, including peering through windows.
Also text messages were sent from Blackwell’s phone after his death as Smithson tried to maintain the illusion he was alive.
On October 21, the cleaner alerted police.
Officers arrived to find Smithson, who calmly told them Blackwell was upstairs and had died three weeks earlier.
She was arrested and later pleaded guilty to one count of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body.
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