A paramedic who tried to save the life of a man who died after drinking syringes of his mother’s morphine was allegedly told she had given the medication to her son "for a laugh", a court heard.
Marianne Willoughby, 50, of Thames Street, Weybridge, is charged with manslaughter by an unlawful act and is accused of killing her son after allegedly squirting her pain medication into his mouth.
The court heard Mrs Willoughby, her 25-year-old son Christopher Rowley-Goodchild and his friend Kirk Ugle, now 25, were all drinking in Mr Rowley-Goodchild’s bedroom in the evening of June 23, 2013, when she is alleged to have offered them oramorph [liquid morphine].
Her son later died after taking four or five 10mg dosages.
Mr Ugle spoke to Daniel Holland, one of the paramedics, and allegedly said: "Is Maz going to get into trouble for this?
"I don’t want her to get into trouble, it’s obvious she’s given him the morphine."
When asked by paramedics why she had given her son the medication, Mrs Willoughby said: "You know, just for a laugh."
The defence argued, at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday, February 17, those exact words may not have been used because notes were not taken immediately afterwards.
This led Mr Holland to voice concern to police that it was a suspicious death, the court heard.
There was dispute over who administered the oramorph directly into the mouths of the participants. The prosecution said it was Mrs Willoughby, the defence said each person took the drugs themselves.
Graham Trembeth, for the defence, asked Mr Ugle if police repeatedly asked him who had given them the oramorph.
It took some prompting from the police before Mr Ugle said it was Mrs Willoughby who squirted 10mg doses into his mouth, the court heard. When asked why he did not respond immediately, Mr Ugle said he was concerned for Mrs Willoughby.
He said: "I just told the truth. I was worried about what would happen to Marianne but, you know, I just told the truth."
The court heard a recording of the 999 call made at about 4.20am, when they realised Mr Rowley-Goodchild was unconscious and very cold.
Mrs Willoughby can be heard to be extremely upset, crying out and imploring her son to wake up and come back to her.
He eventually died from morphine and alcohol intoxication, toxicology results showed.
Both Mrs Willoughby and Mr Ugle were arrested, the court heard. Mr Ugle was later released without charge.
The trial continues.
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