{"id":6108,"date":"2026-06-19T11:42:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T11:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/killer-stepmum-janice-nix-jailed-for-forcing-girl-five-into-fatal-scalding-bath\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T11:42:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T11:42:02","slug":"killer-stepmum-janice-nix-jailed-for-forcing-girl-five-into-fatal-scalding-bath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/killer-stepmum-janice-nix-jailed-for-forcing-girl-five-into-fatal-scalding-bath\/","title":{"rendered":"Killer stepmum Janice Nix jailed for forcing girl, five, into fatal scalding bath"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_1cf165\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Janice Nix, 67, has been jailed for 12 years after forcing her five-year-old stepdaughter Andrea Bernard into a scalding hot bath at their home in south London in 1978<\/h2>\n<div class=\"Byline_byline-container__K_Owl\" data-testid=\"byline\"><span class=\"Byline_byline-content-wrapper__Imque\" data-testid=\"byline-content\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"Byline_author-badge-date-wrapper__Q7jj1\">\n<p><span class=\"\" data-testid=\"byline-publishedDate\"><\/span><span class=\"ArticleTimestamp_updated-date__7qD4Q ArticleTimestamp_updated-date-with-published__iFKpF\" data-testid=\"byline-updatedDate\">Updated <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37206644\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Janice Nix punished five-year-old Andrea Bernard with a scalding hot bath\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37206644.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/2_Janice-Nix-court-case.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37206644.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/2_Janice-Nix-court-case.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37206644.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/2_Janice-Nix-court-case.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37206644.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/2_Janice-Nix-court-case.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Janice Nix killed her five-year-old stepdaughter Andrea Bernard\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Janice Nix killed her five-year-old stepdaughter Andrea Bernard<cite aria-label=\"Image: Metropolitan Police\/PA Wire\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Metropolitan Police\/PA Wire)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A step mum who killed a five-year-old girl by <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/janice-nix-verdict-andrea-bernard-37206473\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">forcing her into a scalding hot bath<\/a> almost five decades ago has been jailed for 12 years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The death of <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/janice-nix-andrea-bernard-bath-37206652\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Andrea Bernard<\/a> was treated as an accident until her brother contacted <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/police\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">police <\/a>in 2022 with a new account of what happened.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Janice Nix, 67, was convicted of manslaughter as further horrific details of the crime came to light. She was today <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/prisons?pageNumber=100\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">jailed <\/a>for 12 years at Isleworth <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/crown-court\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Crown Court<\/a> for manslaughter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Andrea died at the family home in Thornton Heath, south London, in 1978 after the tragic girl had pleaded the bath was &#8220;too hot, mummy&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A &#8220;furious&#8221; Nix had beaten and forced the youngster into the bath after she ignored instructions not to leave the house and to help clean instead, a court previously heard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Andrea&#8217;s brother, Desmond Bernard, said he could hear the five-year-old saying &#8216;&#8221;the bath is too hot mummy&#8221; while Janice shouted &#8220;get in the bath, get in the bath&#8221;. He then heard screaming and splashing moments before the five-year-old&#8217;s death on June 6, 1978.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37208173\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37208173\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Andrea Bernard &#10;\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37208173.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/1_Image.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37208173.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/1_Image.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37208173.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/1_Image.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37208173.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/1_Image.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Andrea Bernard was killed at her home in Thornton Heath, south London, in 1978\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Andrea Bernard was killed at her home in Thornton Heath, south London, in 1978<cite aria-label=\"Image: Met Police\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Met Police)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mr Bernard told jurors: &#8220;The screaming stopped and I could hear Janice calling Andrea to &#8216;wake up, wake up'&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Asked by prosecutor Kerry Broome how Nix sounded, he replied: &#8220;She sounded scared.&#8221; Mr Bernard said he then entered the bathroom and saw Nix cradling Andrea, who was &#8220;limp&#8221; and wrapped in a towel. He added: &#8220;I could see skin falling off her.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mr Bernard, now 56, tearfully told jurors that he had initially described his sister&#8217;s death as an accident because he wanted Nix to stop beating him. Andrea died nearly six weeks after arriving at hospital with burns to 50% of her body, the court heard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Nix, then called Janice Thomas and in her late teenage years, had been in a relationship with the children&#8217;s father, also named Desmond Bernard, and was in effect their stepmother, the court heard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">She was <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/janice-nix-arrest-heathrow-airport-37207145\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">arrested at Heathrow Airport<\/a> on February 18, 2025, after arriving on a flight from Antigua, and was charged later that day. She had denied both the charges of manslaughter and cruelty to a child.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In May, she wept in court as she was found guilty of her manslaughter, as well as cruelty to Andrea&#8217;s brother Desmond Bernard between October 1975 and June 1978, when he was seven to nine-years-old.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/janice-nix-sentenced-andrea-bernard-37318748\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Janice Nix, 67, has been jailed for 12 years after forcing her five-year-old stepdaughter Andrea<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1_Image.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}