A DAUGHTER accused of murdering her mum by strangling her has told a court she was trying to resuscitate her after she stopped breathing.

Margaret Sims, 70, who suffered from Alzheimer's Disease, was staying at the home of her youngest daughter, in Stanford-le-Hope, on the night she died.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard Mrs Sims, from Clacton, was sharing a sofa bed with her other daughter, Keeley Barnard, 52, who is accused of her murder.

The court was shown a video captured by PC Robert McKenzie, who attended the scene on August 20 last year. 

In the video Barnard, from Chelmsford, is heard saying her mum had placed a pillow over her face to block out the light while she was asleep.

She said: "I didn't go into the bedroom until about 11.30pm and I must admit I had a few drinks.

"My mum put a pillow on her face and I tried to move it but she wasn't having any of it.

"All of a sudden I heard her stop breathing."

The family had been to the Haywain pub, in Basildon, during the day, before sitting down to watch TV in the evening.

Barnard and her sister had put Mrs Sims to bed at about 7pm.

The jury was told it was not until a few hours later, when Barnard went to bed, that she realised her mum was not breathing.

During a police interview she said her mum had been twitching, but suddenly stopped.

She said: "I heard a noise from her throat, that's when I realised something was wrong.

"I lifted her neck and started banging her chest. She wasn't breathing, there wasn't any noise.

"I turned the light on because I wasn't getting anywhere. I shouted out to say I thought mum had passed away."

Pathologist Dr Virginia Fitzpatrick-Swallow found several abrasion wounds around Mrs Sims’ face and neck, consistent with fingernail marks.

She recorded the cause of death as compression to the neck caused by strangulation.

While in custody Barnard was heard saying: "I did not kill my mum, I did not kill her."

The trial continues...