A couple who subjected a vulnerable 28-year-old man in their care to "deliberate cruelty" have been sentenced to life imprisonment for his murder. Rubin Blount weighed only 40kg when he died in November 2022. At Stafford Crown Court, it was revealed that he was forced to eat out of rubbish bins and stand for long periods at an address in Tamworth, Staffordshire, by his stepbrother Kenneth Newton and Newton’s partner Melanie James. Newton, 58, and James, 64, both from Birmingham, recorded videos of themselves taunting and abusing the victim. They were found guilty of Mr Blount’s murder by a jury in July. On Friday, Mrs Justice Jefford sentenced each defendant to a minimum term of 21 years. A member of the public shouted "rot in hell" as they were taken away. The judge stated that both Newton and James had a position of trust they ultimately breached, showing an "abject failure to help him when he was in pain and suffering." Mr Blount was found severely malnourished and dehydrated when he was taken to the hospital after becoming ill. Upon arrival, he suffered a cardiac arrest, which medical staff resuscitated, but he remained in critical condition and died three days later on 30 November 2022. In hospital, clinicians discovered he had extensive pneumonia, severe infection, fractures to his spine and ribs, alongside burns, lesions, and grazes. A police investigation found that Newton and James had ridiculed Mr Blount’s intellect and physical appearance. He sustained 50 rib fractures, 47 of which were inflicted during the weeks before his death. Officers also found mould and "abhorrent" conditions in his bedroom. Prosecution counsel Jennifer Josephs KC told the court that the victim must have experienced "extreme pain and suffering" prior to his death. She explained that Mr Blount, described as "considerably mentally impaired," was particularly vulnerable, and the defendants’ "cruel" conduct was documented in video evidence shown to the jury. She added that the pair deliberately denied the victim access to medical care until he was "beyond help." As Ms Josephs outlined the abuse and violence against Mr Blount, James wept in the dock. She said: "Mr Blount’s death was the culmination of a prolonged course of conduct perpetrated against a man who was unable to speak for himself." Reading a victim impact statement, Mr Blount’s mother, Jeanette Blount, said her son was vulnerable and deserved "compassion, dignity, and a chance to live his life." She said, "We all believed they loved him and would take care of him. We had no reason to believe otherwise. I never believed there would come a time Rubin would no longer be here. He was more than a victim. He was a son, a brother, and a friend and a person who was deeply loved by so many people. His life mattered and his loss has been felt by us all. No sentence can bring back our son or take away the trauma that we now carry. The grief is constant." In passing sentence, Mrs Justice Jefford noted that Mr Blount had "more or less disappeared from view" and had not left the house for roughly two months before his death. She highlighted recordings made by the defendants on 2 November 2022 that exposed their mistreatment of Mr Blount. She said, "You accused him of putting on his poor physical state, you mocked him, you flung abuse at him… you laughed and seemed to find this abhorrent behaviour amusing. He was unable to defend himself or even walk away from you." The judge concluded that the defendants only sought assistance for Mr Blount out of concern for their own position, adding, "You tried to portray yourself as kind and caring." She said that James had made "wicked lies" about Mr Blount to social services, the council, and others, and noted that her motives remained unclear.