A woman from Tewkesbury who kept another woman captive for over 20 years and forced her to carry out labour in her home has been sentenced to 13 years imprisonment.

Amanda Wixon, 56, was convicted by a jury at Gloucestershire Crown Court in January of two counts of forced or compulsory labour, one count of false imprisonment and three counts of assault.

During her more than 20-year imprisonment, the victim was repeatedly beaten while being forced to clean and sweep the floors of Wixon’s home and get her children ready for school.

She told the police that the assaults she was subjected to included being hit, being strangled into unconsciousness while her head was forced into a toilet and being force-fed cleaning products.

Wixon assumed responsibility for the victim and moved her in with her own family in 1996. She was found by police in March 2021, following a call from one of Wixon’s sons who was concerned about her welfare. At the time of her discovery, she was malnourished, her hair had been forcibly cut, and all of her teeth had been removed.

Rachael Scott of the Crown Prosecution Service said:

“The victim in this case was subjected to decades of torment, exploitation and control. She was denied her freedom, made to live in appalling physical and emotional conditions, and forced to act at the whim of the woman who imprisoned her.

“Over the years of captivity, which she was only able to track by the passing of each Christmas, she was left to live off the crumbs that Wixon provided, while suffering unimaginable abuse and experiencing no acts of kindness at all.

“Despite all of this, the progress she has made since finding freedom is remarkable and a true testament to her strength.

“Our thoughts remain with her, and I hope that today’s sentence brings her some comfort as she continues to rebuild her life.”