11 July 2012 Last updated at 11:30 ET

Police worker Angela Pearson jailed over mother's death

A civilian police worker who allowed her mother to starve to death in "almost indescribable squalor" has been jailed for 30 months.

Angela Pearson, 53, of Guiseley, Leeds, was convicted of the manslaughter of Eileen Pearson by gross negligence.

The West Yorkshire Police employee failed to provide adequate food or care to her 82-year-old mother.

She also failed to get timely medical help before driving the body of her dead mother to hospital in May 2011.

'Selfishness' and 'laziness'

Bed-ridden Mrs Pearson died from a combination of malnutrition and infected bed sores, Preston Crown Court heard.

When police visited their home in Fairway they found the property was uninhabitable.

The rooms were piled high with a mixture of discarded possessions, soiled clothes, soiled nappies, food waste, bottles filled with urine and human waste.

Pearson argued that she had "no idea" her mother was going to die and she had not breached her duty of care.

Sentencing her, Mr Justice Irwin said he accepted the defendant had a "very unusual background" but the vices of "selfishness" and "laziness" were conspicuous in her behaviour.

He said: "Leaving aside the squalor you lived in, your mother starved over months. She was grossly weakened by that process and you effectively did nothing to prevent it.

"You made a real contribution to her death."