A JURY listened to the harrowing moments as a shocked husband called police to inform them his wife had killed his mother-in-law - then watched footage of the dramatic and upsetting scenes when emergency services arrived at the family home in Grays.

Steve Banks arrived home on Lenmore Avenue with his son on Monday, 21 June last year to find the body of 89-year-old Winifred Grover and his wife in a semi-conscious state after taking tablets and drinking whisky in a bid to kill herself after smothering her dementia-suffering mother to death.

The story of the day's events, described by prosecutor Christopher Paxton as "terrible and tragic", unfolded at Basildon Crown Court where Mr Banks' 60-year-old wife Cheryl is on trial for murder.

Mrs Banks has admitted killing her mother and pleaded guilty to manslaughter of killing by reason of diminished responsibility but the Crown Prosecution Service believes the act was premeditated and wants to bring home a full unlawful killing verdict of murder.

In his opening statements to the court Mr Paxton told how Mrs Banks had killed her mother by smothering her and then tried to kill herself. She left notes and letter saying "sorry for all the pain and shame that I have brought to the family." Mr Paxton's opening address and details of the day's events can be read here.

As the trial continued, a statement from Mr Banks - who is a caretaker at the Grays Seabrooke Rise housing estate - and one from his son, Christopher, were read to the court.

Christopher's statement described the layout of the family home, a three bedroom semi-detatched property where the downstairs front room had been converted into a makeshift bedroom for Mrs Grover, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease and was cared for by his mother on a 24/7 basis.

Christopher continued: "I woke up around 20 to seven in the morning, My dad was already up and made me a cup of tea. Within a few minutes, by seven oclock, me and my dad were on the road. My dad is caretaker at Seabrooke Rise and he takes me to a friend's in Stanford-le-Hope from where I go on to work, and he returns to his job in Grays.

"He then picked me up in the afternoon and we got home at about 5 o'clock. I rang the doorbell for the front door but after there ws no answer, my dad used his keys to let us in.

"My dad picked up a note that was left on the side. Dad walked ahead into the living room, I commented how quiet it was then I heard my dad say 'Oh no not again'. I then heard my mother say 'Don't worry, I haven't taken enough to kill myself'."

The court had previously heard that Mrs Banks had tried to kill herself once before, around the time of a fall by her mother for which she blamed herself - though it was stressed she hadn't been at fault. The court had earlier heard Mrs Banks had previously considered suffocating her mother but though she picked up a cushion to do it, had not carrid out the act.

Christopher's statement continued: "I kept asking my my mum why do you keep doing this?She said 'I have done a terrible thing'. I said 'like what?' and she said 'I have killed your nan'.

"I went in to check on my nan. The curtains were shut, which was unusual, I couldn't see on the bed where she was so small and frail. I lifted the duvet from her face, I knew something was wrong, she had her eyes and mouth open. I knew that she was clearly dead at this point.

"I said 'yes she has, she's done it, she's killed her'. I kept saying, why? Why would you do this?

"All mum would say was call the police. I stayed in the kitchen with my dad. I was really upset."

He then detailed how he went upstairs to call his sister Hannah, before police and paramedics arrived following his father's call.

In his statement, he added: "My mum thought she may have been commiting fraud by taking and using mum's pension."

Judge Samantha Leigh interupted to tell the jury: "There is no suggestion of financial impropriety whatseover."

Christopher's statement detailed the previous attempt by his mother to kill herself and linked it to an incident when his nan had choked, though a later statement by his father linked it to his nan's fall.

He said: "Nan choked on a piece of toast and my mum got the toast out and nan was taken to hospital. Mum, tried to kill herself by overdose with two bottles of pills and a bottle of scotch. She left a suicide note for each of us. The general gist of the notes were standard day-to-day things about the running of the house and that she couldn't go on.

"Mum suffers from insomnia."

He then detailed a history of disharmony within the wider family, including one member - a cousin called Jennifer who had fallen out with Mrs Bates and other family members. He told of one instance when a bloodied razor blade had been sent to the house anonymously, saying it was believed to have come from Jennifer - who, he said: "Hated all of us and sent threatening letters."

His statement concluded: "I don't see any reason why she would have killed my nan, I didn't think my nan would have asked her to help her to die.

"Financially nan was not in any trouble. She had £10K in her account and received a pension. Mum was able to do everything my nan needed."

In his statement Steve Banks told how he had been married to Cheryl for 43 years and he and his wife lived on Lenmore Avenue with their son. Their daughter, Hannah, lives with her family in Kent.

His statement said: "About three years ago Cheryl's mum moved in with us. She has Alzheimer's and lived independently but deteriorated and she moved in with us. Caring for her was a full time job for Cheryl, who had lost her job when Bonmarché in Grays closed.

"Roughly about a year ago, mum had a fall. She stayed in Basildon Hospital. Cheryl was worried about the fall and felt that she would be blamed."

He detailed how, following the fall, his wife had tried to kill herself and then was treated for her mental health issues at Basildon Hospital.

He continued: "I thought things were OK. Cheryl had a lot of work but said she didn't need anybody's help. Cheryl would always try to get mum up and out to the shops or for a walk of something."

He said that covid restrictions had made that, and life in general at home, more difficult.

Mr Banks then described what happened in advance of the death of his mother-in-law and what happened when he returned home from work.

"Sunday, 20 June was a normal day for us. I cooked a roast dinner, we watched a film. There were no arguments, nothing out of the ordinary.

"For a long time now Cheryl has been sleeping on the sofa downstairs close to a visual monitor so she can help mum.

"At about 5 in the morning I heard mum screaming. This was not unusual when she needs help. I went back to sleep.

"I got up and I made Chris a cup of tea then we got ready for work. Chris and I left at about 7am.

"I didn't hear from Cheryl during the day, but that was not unheard of. I left work at 4.20pm, got some beers in from the off licence and picked up Chris. Then we went home and I unlocked the front door.

"The first thing I noticed was there was post on the mat. I went into the lounge and saw Cheryl lying on the sofa. There was pills and a bottle of whisky.

"I said 'Why have you done this?' Cheryl replied 'I have killed mum, call the police'.

"Cheryl seemed delirious, her speech was stuttered. I asked her how many pills she had taken, she said 'not enough'.

"I called the police and they arrived, then the ambulance came too.

"I know that Cheryl had been finding things hard but I can think of no trigger that would have caused this.

"In the letter she said 'I am sorry for the pain and shame' - it seems there was a lot things that she was keeping from me."

When he had been asked if he thought Cheryl couldn't cope any more, Mr Banks replied: "I put two and two together maybe that's what's happened. She couldn't go out with the lockdown and eveything. She's always got on well with her mum."

The court then heard evidence from Grays-based PC Jack Emmerson, one of the first two officers to arrive at the scene.

He detailed how Mrs Banks had told him and a paramedic that she had killed her mother.

Mr Paxton then read out sections from the notes left by Mrs Bates including: "I am sorry for all the pain and shame that I have brought to the family and that you will have to live for the rest of your lives. Please don't defend me. I listened to the voice in my head, not my heart.

"I have made so many wrong decisions, it was like a stack of dominoes. One falls they all fall, one after the other.

"Mum's money is in her bank account. Please know this was never about me getting her money.

"Once this has all been sorted I hope you can all have as normal a life as possible. I am so sorry. X"

She left instructions including a list of people, businesses etc that needed to be notified of her death and told her husband: "Don't put this on Hannah, you can do it."

The court heard the recording of the call from Mr Banks to emergency services and then watched body camera footage taken by PC Emmerson which showed the discovery of Mrs Grover's body and the initial conversations with a prostrate Mrs Banks, who was arrested immediately by PC Emmerson as a paramedic began treatment of her. She was then taken on a strecther to the ambulance and to hospital.

The court heard at the hospital she was examined by a doctor and asked if she had had hallucinations or thought disorders. She said not.

The trial continues.