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Browns brasserie founder and his sister were told by GP not to give his mother, 100, any more pain killing medication before they ‘murdered her with morphine’, court hears
A court has heard that a GP advised Jeremy Mogford and his sister Sarah Pickering not to give their 100-year-old mother, Pamela, any more pain medication. The siblings are accused of murdering her with morphine at her home in February 2022, in an attempt to speed up her death; both deny the charge.
The GP, Dr Thomas Neale, told Oxford Crown Court he gave Pamela two 2.5mg morphine injections on the day before she died and left ampoules for a doctor to use if needed. He described her as having little previous exposure to opioids and said he had chosen small doses. Prosecutors allege the siblings gave her at least four times the morphine dose administered by the GP.
In short
- Jeremy Mogford and Sarah Pickering deny murdering their mother.
- A GP said he advised them not to give her more pain medication.
- Prosecutors allege she received at least four times his morphine dose.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The prosecution’s case is that the siblings knowingly gave their mother a morphine dose far above the small amount the GP had administered, despite his advice not to give more pain relief, and intended to hasten her death. If established, that would distinguish their actions from the doctor’s carefully limited treatment and support the murder charge.
The case against
The siblings deny murder, and the reported evidence does not establish that they administered the alleged dose or intended to cause their mother’s death. A GP had already given morphine and left further ampoules for a doctor to use if needed; the defence may argue that the circumstances and any actions taken must be judged on the evidence about what the siblings knew and intended.
Explained simply
Pamela Mogford was 100 when she died at home in February 2022. Her children, Jeremy Mogford, a restaurateur who founded the Browns brasserie chain, and Sarah Pickering, are charged with murder and deny the allegation.
The case concerns how much morphine Pamela received and who gave it to her. Morphine is a strong medicine used to relieve pain; doctors must judge its use carefully, particularly for someone with little previous exposure. The court is hearing evidence about the care she received and the events before her death.