Cruel son Stewart Irwin left mum on floor for two weeks before she died

Cruel son Stewart Irwin left mum on floor for two weeks before she died Stewart Irwin, 56, has been jailed for six and a half years for manslaughter after leaving his elderly mum, Veronica Irwin, on the floor for two weeks before she died A man who left his elderly mum on the floor for two weeks before she died told a 999 call handler: "I could have killed her myself" before adding: "Ah, I don’t want to say that." Stewart Irwin, 56, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for manslaughter after failing to seek help for his 74-year-old mother, Veronica Irwin, in Carlisle. He was found guilty following a trial at Carlisle Crown Court and sentenced at the same court on Friday. The court heard Irwin had been living with his mother in a two-bedroom flat on Rydal Street when she died on July 28, 2023. That day, he called the North West Ambulance Service to report that his mother had fallen in the wet room and was refusing to get up. He went on to tell the call handler that Ms Irwin had been on the floor for two weeks and had been refusing food and help, describing her as "one of those stubborn old women". During the call, he also said: "I could have killed her myself," before adding: "Ah, I don’t want to say that." The four paramedics who attended the address initially believed Ms Irwin was already dead because of the state of neglect in which she was found. She had severe pressure sores and was suffering from an insect infestation. When paramedics asked Irwin why he had waited so long to call for help, he said his mother would not let him. When police arrived, Irwin again claimed his mother had told him not to call anyone. He told officers: "I said: 'You want an ambulance?' and she said: 'No, no, no.'" Ms Irwin was taken to hospital but died later that evening. A postmortem examination found that the cause of death was hypothermia and neglected pressure ulcers. Irwin was interviewed by police twice following his mother's death. On both occasions, he refused to answer questions, responding "no comment". Outside court, Detective Constable Emma Armstrong, of Cumbria Police, said: "Veronica Irwin died in truly horrendous conditions because her son - who presented himself as her carer - refused to get help for her. "Irwin had countless chances to ask for help as his mother lay on the floor but waited until it was too late to act. "The fact that experienced paramedics initially suspected Veronica had already passed away when they arrived demonstrates the terrible condition she was allowed to descend into before Irwin finally acted."