Son denies he killed dad in Durham hospital bed

Aug 22 2009 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

A POST office worker accused of strangling his seriously ill father in his hospital bed yesterday denied murder.

Ralph Stephenson, 45, was arrested in June following the death of his father, also named Ralph, after he was found dead in the University Hospital of North Durham.

Yesterday the defendant appeared at Newcastle Crown Court where he entered a not guilty plea during a short hearing. He was flanked by two dock officers and spoke only to confirm his name.

Stephenson, of Tyne Road East, Stanley, County Durham, was remanded in custody to face trial starting on January 25 next year.

His father died in his hospital bed three weeks after he was admitted suffering from various problems, including Parkinson’s disease and pneumonia. But hospital staff became suspicious about the 86-year-old’s death and contacted police.

A post mortem revealed he had suffered what detectives described as “significant injuries”.

A murder investigation was launched and detectives from Durham Police arrested his son in Stanley.

At the time neighbours, who were shocked to hear of the arrest, described Ralph junior as a devoted son. He often called to see them and regularly took his mother shopping.

The postal worker is thought to have visited his father in hospital earlier in the week.

He split up from his girlfriend, Anne Down, with whom he has two teenage daughters, before they moved to a house nearby.

At the time of his arrest, Anne, a leisure centre assistant, said: “It’s a very sad time for all of us.”