Woman accused of murdering own ill mother defends 'hardest decision she's ever had to make'
A woman accused of murdering her severely ill mother has claimed that she no longer wanted to be in pain.
In December last year, 70-year-old Lorna Nightingale was found unresponsive in an East London bedsit. Her daughter Emma was later arrested and charged with murder, with the 36-year-old entering a not guilty plea back in April.
She was scheduled to stand trial in May, but the case was later dropped by police after it was determined there was no realistic chance of conviction.
Now the self-employed business administrator has spoken out about her ordeal, revealing that ordering the medication which would ultimately end her mother's life was the 'hardest decision' she'd ever had to make.
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Prior to her mother's death, Emma had been acting as a full-time carer for Lorna, who'd been suffering from chronic kidney disease, severe dental problems and cataracts in both eyes.
After the mother and daughter discovered that Lorna's home in Lowestoft, Suffolk was no longer suitable for living in, due to damp and Lorna's inability to walk up stairs, the pair rented a bedsit in the London borough of Walthamstow.
The move had been Lorna's idea, as she had always dreamed of 'experiencing' London, with dreams of riding in taxis, shopping at Westfield and seeing shows at the city's theatres before becoming bedbound.
Speaking about their time in the capital together, Emma explained that her Lorna had 'loved' the bedsit and 'wanted to spend her remaining days there'.
"From the moment we arrived, she loved the bedsit and told me she wanted to spend her remaining days there," Emma said.
"In the time we had left together, I ensured she was as comfortable and happy as she could possibly be."
Emma added that her mother 'still had a good appetite' and would enjoy her favourite dishes of soft mashed potatoes, Yorkshire puddings with gravy, crumpets and soft desserts as well as fish and chips.
"Whatever she wanted, I made sure she had. Just seeing her smiles and contentment while watching her favourite TV shows and enjoying her food was a joy to me," Emma added.
"It was the humane thing to do."
Admitting that she'd ordered the tablets which ended her Lorna's life, Emma said that she'd only done so as she wanted her mother to 'go out with dignity'.
"It was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. It was the humane thing to do," she said.
"There was no way I was going to let the person closest to me in the world, my mum, who was my best friend, go through that sort of pain and suffering.
"I’d do anything for her. I’d sacrifice my life for her if I had to, because that’s how much I loved her."
A devoted Christian, Emma also explained that she'd struggled with the ethics of assisted suicide, saying that she only agreed to ordering the pills after her mother had 'begged' her to do so.
"If I hadn’t helped her by getting the tablets when I did, her pain would have become unbearable," she said.
"She’d had enough and wanted to go with dignity."
Emma is now waiting to find out whether or not the Crown Prosecution Service will bring new charges against her for encouraging or assisting suicide.
Assisted dying is currently a heavily debated topic in the UK, with MPs voting in favour of legalising the practice last year.
However, the bill, named the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Act, failed to become law in April 2026, after it received 1,200 amendments from the House of Lords.
Despite the setback, Emma believes assisted dying will eventually become law, adding: "It affects so many people, and unless you’re in a situation like that with someone you love more than anything else in the world, some people just don’t understand how heartbreaking it is.
"Mum took the tablets of her own free will as a mentally competent adult, with me in the room with her, as that was what she wanted – for me to be there."
Brenna Cooper