Woman’s maggot-infested leg amputated after partner’s alleged care fail

A young woman had her leg amputated after her partner allegedly left her in a bed for over a year, causing her leg to slowly rot and become infested with maggots. WARNING: GRAPHIC

Andrew Stephen Johns leaves the Brisbane City watch-house on Friday. Picture: Steve Pohlner

A young woman had her leg amputated after her partner allegedly left her in a bed for over a year without proper medical care, causing her leg to slowly rot and become infested with maggots.

Her partner, Andrew Stephen Johns, 44, faced the Brisbane Arrest Court on Friday, charged with failing to provide necessities of life causing grievous bodily harm.

Police allege the woman, 34, and Johns were living together when her legs started swelling sometime during early 2022.

It is alleged the woman’s health quickly deteriorated and she became bedridden, relying on Johns for medical care for an entire year, before being found and taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital with severe injuries on Thursday.

Johns was arrested and taken to the Brisbane watch house while the woman underwent an emergency leg amputation.

Police prosecutor Eddie Fraser on Friday told the court that police will allege the woman’s initial leg injury could have been “easily resolved with a trip to the doctors.”

“The defendant was the primary source of the care, the action are of significant concern, particularly were using bandages and non sterile bandages, placing new ones over top,” he said of police’s allegations against the man.

“The decline of the health of the particularly young victim … is concerning, (it) ultimately led to severe bed sores from not being moved, the leg becoming gangrenous.

“Not only gangrenous, but to the points where it was being infected by maggots infested with rotting flesh.”

Mr Johns told media he was worried about his partner and was “shocked” to learn she had her leg amputated.

“I didn’t know what was going to happen,” he said.

Mr Johns, who had no prior criminal history would be contesting the charge against him, with duty lawyer Bianca Vandeerden applying for his bail on Friday.

Ms Vandeerden told the court Johns had been diagnosed with muscular dystrophy in 2014 and required a walker to avoid constantly falling over.

“He instructs he lives in severe pain daily. He falls over constantly without assistance,” she said.

Magistrate Joseph Pinder granted Johns bail on the condition he has no contact with the woman, does not go to the Princess Alexandra Hospital, her workplace or living address.

He must also reside with his mother at Bellbird Park.

Johns’s matter was adjourned to April 17.

Outside court he said he had been worried about his partner and was shocked to learn she had had her leg amputated.

“I didn’t know what was going to happen,” he said.