Browns brasserie founder's 100 year-old mother was given just hours to live before he and his sister allegedly murdered her with morphine overdose, court hears

AN elderly woman was given just hours to live before she was allegedly murdered by her son and daughter, a court heard.Paramedics told Pamela Mogford's carer Agnes Pawlikowska that she was unlikely to live much longer after suffering a suspected aneurysm at home. Mrs Mogford refused to go to hospital and died in the early hours of the following day in February 2022 aged 100.Her son, Browns Brasserie founder Jeremy Mogford, 79, and his sister Sarah Pickering, 72, are on trial accused of administering morphine to 'speed up' her death.The accept giving their mother Oramorph but deny intending to quicken her death, claiming to have acted out of 'mercy' because she was in pain. They deny murder. Mrs Mogford's death at her £1.8million cottage in the village of Bledlow Ridge, Buckinghamshire, was initially put down to 'old age'.But police later found Pickering had sent a message the night before in which she said: 'I am actually killing her,' after asking Mogford if she should give their mother more morphine. Sarah Pickering, 72, arriving at Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday, where she is on trial with her brother Jeremy Mogford accused of murdering their 100-year-old mother Pamela Jeremy Mogford, 79, opened the first Browns Brasserie in 1973 in Brighton with then-business partner John Mayhew. He sold the chain to Bass Brewery for £35million in 1996.On Wednesday, jurors heard from Mrs Mogford's carer who told how the elderly woman was in a poor state the day before she died.She said she appeared 'unpresent' and her speech was unclear. She said it was 'not nice' to see her like that. 'It is never nice, I really liked Pamela and I believe yes, she liked me too.' She called 999 and paramedics who went to the cottage said she had suffered a suspected abdominal aortic aneurysm. They recommended she be taken to hospital but Mrs Mogford refused to go to. Ms Pawlikowska said one of them told her Mrs Mogford was 'passing away and he doesn't know how long it will take'. Jurors were told that Mrs Mogford's GP visited her three times later that day, giving her injections of morphine on the second and third visits. In her notes Ms Pawlikowska said Mrs Mogford was 'lying on the bed under morphine in agony'. Asked on Wednesday if she would have administered morphine to Mrs Mogford that night 'out of pity', Ms Pawlikowska said: 'Yes, I would.'But she told jurors she does not remember giving Mrs Mogford any morphine herself and confirmed she would 'always' record medication administered in her notes.Ms Pawlikowska also said she suspected Mogford was the favourite child.She told the court he visited his mother 'very often' and spoke with her on the phone 'every day'.She said it was 'true' that her patient would 'chirp up' when her son visited or called.Later, Mogford's lawyer Trevor Burke KC said it was 'odd' that Mrs Mogford's GP had asked the carer and family members to wait outside the room in the corridor while he administered morphine. Paramedic David Worsfold, who treated Mrs Mogford at home, later said 'ideally [when administering morphine] we would have a witness as it is a controlled drug.'He said he would have given her some but he did not have any on the ambulance. Mogford and Pickering also face an alternative charge of attempted murder of Mrs Mogford, who died aged 100 at about half-past midnight on February 15 2022.The pair were arrested after texts were discovered from Pickering on the evening of her death which included 'I am actually killing her' and 'I shall wait until Foyle is over then I can go to my grave knowing I have topped someone. It's certainly on my bucket list.'Jurors were told Pickering also said 'for f***'s sake mother, hurry up and die' in the presence of her carers, gardener and brother on the evening of February 14.In texts to friends on February 14, Pickering wrote: 'Think we might give her some morphine tonight, but don't tell anyone.'In another message to a friend which prosecutors said shows she knew they 'might get her in trouble', Pickering wrote: 'Two injections from the Doc but not enough, just between me and you and the gatepost Jeremy and I have given two more and still not worked.'Shortly before 10pm, Pickering messaged her brother asking: 'Can I give some more? It's awful listening to this,' with Mogford replying: 'Yes, go ahead.'Pickering then replied: 'Ok will wait a little while, she is fast asleep,' with prosecutors alleging this means Mrs Mogford was not in pain at this point.In a message to her husband Mr Pidgeon, Pickering said: 'I am actually killing her.'In subsequent texts, she wrote: 'J said go for it, but easier said than done. Maybe I will have another glass and it might be easier.'Never killed anyone before, but I have often thought about it. 'I shall wait until Foyle is over then I can go to my grave knowing I have topped someone. It's certainly on my bucket list.'Mogford opened the first Browns Brasserie in 1973 in Brighton with then-business partner John Mayhew.He sold the Browns chain to Bass Brewery for £35million in 1996. Mrs Mogford's husband Peter, a hotelier and Dunkirk veteran, died in 2015 aged 95. The couple have another son, Martyn. In a death notice Mrs Mogford was described as 'fun loving; always generating joy and laughter'.Her cottage sold for £1.8million in 2022. The trial continues.