Jury finds daughter of starved elderly woman guilty

Cindy Taylor (Supplied)
Cindy Taylor (Supplied)

A jury at the High Court in Auckland has found a woman guilty of leaving her elderly mother to starve to death.

Cindy Taylor, 43, was found guilty on Friday of the manslaughter of Ena Lai Dung, 77, who weighed only 29kg when she died half naked in her bed in Manurewa on January 16 last year.

Two other people living at the house at the time, Luana Taylor, 56, and Brian Taylor, 62, were also found guilty of failing to protect a vulnerable adult.

Jury finds daughter of starved elderly woman guilty

Luana Taylor and Brian Taylor (supplied)

Ms Dung's body was found by emergency services covered in bed sores and she had 14 fractured ribs and a broken sternum which appeared to be days, or even weeks old.

Ambulance staff reported a strong smell of urine and excrement and noted that Ms Dung's bed was only covered with a green plastic sheet and no other linen.

Jury finds daughter of starved elderly woman guilty

The house where Ms Dung's body was found (Supplied)

The Crown said Taylor neglected Ms Dung and caused her death though dehydration and malnutrition, while collecting her and an uncle's pensions.

Taylor's defence said Ms Dung refused to eat and drink in her last days - causing her own death. Her lawyers said life for Taylor was comparable to Cinderella - a "living hell".

Taylor said her mother refused to use the toilet and said she routinely cleaned her bedroom, including her waste.

The trial went for three weeks.

Newhsub.