Daughter admits 'attempted mercy killing' of mum

Susan Hardwick admitted carrying out an "attempted mercy killing" at Doncaster Royal Infirmary

A woman has admitted trying to murder her elderly mother by smothering her with a pillow as she lay in a hospital bed.

Sheffield Crown Court heard Susan Hardwick, 64, carried out an "attempted mercy killing" at Doncaster Royal Infirmary as she believed Joan Hardwick, 89, was going to be transferred to a hospital where she had received poor care previously.

The court heard Susan Hardwick, who has "significant" mental health problems, "feared her mother would die alone and in discomfort".

Judge Jeremy Richardson said she would be sentenced in September and described the case as "a tragedy on the grand scale, from first to last".

An earlier hearing was told Joan Hardwick was receiving end-of-life care at Doncaster Royal Infirmary at the time of the incident on 24 July last year.

The court heard the incident was "consistent with an attempted mercy killing" and that her daughter had told a witness she was going to kill her mother and then kill herself.

The defendant, of Beech Road, Armthorpe, Doncaster, was visibly emotional as she pleaded guilty to attempted murder.

Her basis of plea, read in court, said: "At the time of the incident the defendant was suffering from depression and anxiety through being separated from her mother - they had never been apart.

"She understood her mother was about to be transferred to another hospital to undergo palliative care."

The court heard Joan Hardwick, who was also found with a cut to the back of her neck after the incident, is now in a care home and was "anxious" to see her daughter, particularly as her 90th birthday is coming up in August.

Judge Jeremy Richardson lifted a restraining order restricting contact with her mother, and bailed Susan Hardwick until her sentencing.

He told the defendant: "You will be treated fairly and justly - I can make no promises, but this is a very unusual case and because of that I rather suspect a very unusual sentence may be passed."

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