Dunedin man avoids jail over role in woman Polly Anna Riddell’s death

Carl Frederick Longshaw pleaded guilty to neglect of a vulnerable adult in May. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery

WARNING: This story may be distressing.

A Dunedin man whose inaction led to the death of a former judge’s daughter has been sentenced to seven-and-a-half months’ home detention.

Carl Frederick Longshaw, 66, appeared in the High Court at Dunedin this morning - five years to the day since the death of Polly Anna Arabella Ruth Riddell.

It took him an hour to call emergency services after suspecting she had overdosed, the court heard.

Longshaw pleaded guilty to neglect of a vulnerable adult in May, once a charge of manslaughter had been withdrawn.

The new charge meant the defendant’s omission did not definitively cause Polly Riddell’s death.

The victim’s mother, ex-Judge Rosemary Riddell, remained staggered by the man’s inaction.

“You didn’t do the one thing that was needed, one very simple thing. All you had to do was pick up the phone and dial 111. If you had she would be alive today,” Riddell said.

“Your failure haunts our family. It’s ripped us apart.”

Rosemary Riddell said the immense grief the family endured was compounded by Longshaw’s actions since the tragedy.

Polly Riddell. Photo / Facebook

She described being horrified by the defendant showing up at her daughter’s funeral and then, after being ejected, making a claim of assault with police.

Polly Riddell’s grandmother Lorna Scott addressed Longshaw directly and bluntly.

“You took away my beloved granddaughter and let her die.”

Polly Riddell, described in court documents as Longshaw’s “on-and-off” partner, visited him the evening before her death.

She spoke to a family member on the phone that night, who later described her mood as uncharacteristically “flat”.

Along with prescription medication, Polly Riddell also took other drugs, including methadone, morphine and MDMA, the court heard.

Longshaw suspected as much and “took it upon himself to care for her”.

The man became concerned about her state, mistakenly believing she had pneumonia.

The defendant made sure her airway was clear but Polly Riddell desperately needed medical attention.

It was an hour after his concerns first arose before he called for an ambulance.

Family say Polly Riddell, 40, was the happiest she had been when she died in October 2018. Photo / Supplied / ODT

When Longshaw called 111 at 5.58pm on October 16, 2018 he said: “I think my partner is dead.”

Medics rushed to the scene but ultimately confirmed that.

A sample of Polly Riddell’s blood showed evidence of a variety of substances in her system but a pathologist said she might have survived had appropriate treatment been administered sooner.

Longshaw told police he had cared for the victim “until a time when he believed her condition was such that he needed to call emergency services”.

Counsel Andrew Dawson said his client’s actions were not driven by malice.

“Mr Longshaw’s intent was to care for Ms Riddell,” he said.

Dawson said his client remained living in the home where the death occurred, which had “served as a constant reminder to him”.

Longshaw, he said, had struggled to process his level of responsibility because he did not deliberately cause Polly Riddell’s death.

The defendant told Probation in an interview before sentence: “How can I be blamed for something I knew nothing about?”

Dawson said Longshaw had since accepted his guilt.

Justice Jonathan Eaton said it was a case of “gross negligence” and not one of intentional callousness, but he did not accept the defendant showed any great remorse.

While Crown prosecutor argued Longshaw should be jailed, the judge said the man’s poor mental and physical health would be better catered for in the community.

Rosemary Riddell paid tribute to her husband Mike, who died last year, and had a final message for Longshaw.

“I hope you spend your sentence reflecting on why you failed Polly and the sadness you’ve caused,” she said.

“One day I’d like to remember Polly simply with love, and not grief. The weight of that grief is laid at your door.”