A man has been accused in court of abandoning his mother to die in her bathroom after leaving her lying on the tiled floor for a period of two weeks. Veronica Irwin, aged 72, passed away in a manner described as “painful and inhumane” due to being left in a precarious condition at her residence in Carlisle, Cumbria. The court was informed that Stewart Irwin, aged 56, eventually contacted emergency services, stating that the woman, who was under his care, had declined to get up following a fall.
Irwin, who has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, reportedly referred to his mother as “one of those stubborn women” when speaking to the call handler before paramedics arrived at the property in July 2023. Emergency responders discovered the elderly woman unclothed from the waist up and observed maggots on her skin, initially fearing she had already passed away upon their arrival.
During the trial at Carlisle Crown Court, jurors were informed that a post-mortem examination revealed the cause of death to be hypothermia and sepsis resulting from pressure ulcers, which developed as a consequence of spending an extended period lying on the floor.
Prosecutors alleged that Irwin must have been walking over his mother while she lay on the bathroom floor. It was also mentioned in court that he had withdrawn funds from her bank account and was frequently captured on CCTV purchasing alcohol at a nearby store.
Phillip Barnes KC, the prosecutor, stated that the accused had made no effort to seek medical assistance for his ailing mother. “He continued with his normal routine while his mother was in a dire condition,” Barnes remarked during the court proceedings. “He never addressed the situation or sought aid. A responsible caregiver would not have remained passive.”
The trial is ongoing.
