Widow, 91, talks about alleged murder from care home

Edith Cockell was in the living room of her then home in Green Lane, Worcester when her daughter, Janet Mason, was stabbed to death by Jessica Crane. Mrs Cockell described how she heard her daughter scream from the kitchen.

* The opening of the Worcester murder trial

* Alleged murder victim's injuries

* WANTED: Worcester burglar who failed to come to court

Crane, the victim's daughter and Mrs Cockell's granddaughter, accepts she was responsible for the stabbing but denies murder.

SCENE: The scene of the stabbing in March last year.

Crane plunged a carving knife with a 25cm blade into the 69-year-old's back before calling 999 at 10.41am on Tuesday, March 9 last year. Within an hour, at 11.15am, Mrs Mason was declared dead at the scene despite the efforts of police and paramedics to revive her. Mrs Cockell was in the living room with her daughter, by now on her back on the floor, as attempts were made to save her.

The 50-year-old defendant of Hillside Close, Worcester, wept in the dock during both the playing of a police interview with her grandmother, recorded on the day of the killing, and when she saw her grandmother over the live videolink at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday.

Mrs Cockell, aged 90 at the time her daughter died, said in the recorded interview said: "She (Jessica) was in the kitchen with my daughter. The next thing I heard was a scream and she came in.

"She said 'get an ambulance!' and collapsed in the chair."

Mrs Cockell said at the time she shouted: "Jessica, get an ambulance!" Mrs Cockell believed Crane was outside, ringing the ambulance.

"I couldn't get no response. I said 'Janet! Janet! Janet! Are you alright?' I couldn't get no response at all" said.

She told an officer that she saw blood but 'did not know what went on the kitchen'. "What happened, I don't know" she said.

The widow had been in the living room, where she had slept, before rising at around 5am. Her daughter and granddaughter had both been in the kitchen but she could not hear what was said as the door was closed and the radio was on.

She explained that her daughter came around to the house on Tuesdays to help with cleaning and would also sometimes bring shopping. On the day of the incident Mrs Mason had arrived at around 10am. Crane, who had been staying with her grandmother, was upstairs. Mrs Cockell said she had spoken to Crane that morning, estimating that she came downstairs at 10.30am while her mum was cleaning the kitchen. "She (Crane) didn't look well - she hadn't been well for a long time" said Mrs Cockell.

Crane had not wanted to live at her own flat and was 'very depressed', said Mrs Cockell. She explained that Crane had been 'under the doctor'. Mrs Cockell said Crane was pale and had not been sleeping well.

"She (Crane) never got on with her mother. They clashed all the time" she said.

Over the videolink, Mrs Cockell spoke to Rachel Brand QC, defending. The witness confirmed Crane had lived with her when she was a child, that she had skipped school, that Crane never got on with her mum and that the defendant had told her she had thought about committing suicide.

The trial continues.