A man left his mother to die in a 'painful and inhumane' manner after she lay on a bathroom floor for two weeks, a jury at Carlisle Crown Court has heard. Veronica Irwin, 72, died hours after being rushed to hospital in July 2023, following a call from her son Stewart Irwin, 56.
Discovery and Condition
Paramedics found the pensioner naked from the waist up on the bathroom floor, with maggots crawling on her skin. They initially feared she was already dead. The court heard that Irwin told the call handler his mother was 'one of those stubborn women' and had refused to get up after a fall.
Medical Evidence
A post-mortem examination revealed that Mrs. Irwin died from hypothermia and sepsis caused by pressure ulcers, having spent a 'considerable amount of time' lying on the floor. Prosecutor Phillip Barnes KC stated that Irwin 'must have been stepping over' his mother for two weeks.
Defendant's Actions
The court heard that Irwin continued to go about his life normally, withdrawing money from his mother's bank account and buying alcohol at a local store. 'No reasonable carer would have stood idly by,' Barnes said. Irwin denies manslaughter, and the trial continues.
