Penny John and Barry Rogers did not inherit anything as the result of the death of Betty Guy, a jury heard today (Friday).

"There was no fortune," John said today after entering the witness box at Swansea crown court to give her evidence.

Rogers, of High Street, Fishguard, and John, 50, of Union Terrace, St Dogmaels, deny murdering Mrs Guy in the early hours of November 7, 2011 at her home at Hillcroft, Johnston.

At first her death was put down to natural causes and her body was cremated at Narberth four days later.

The prosecution claim John fed her a cocktail of drugs and whiskey and that Rogers "finished her off" by placing a pillow over her face.

John said today she had looked after her elderly mother as well as she could and that she believed she had died of old age.

"She was amazing and I loved her," she said.

She said she had been taking "loads" of medication but she had not known what precisely, but she would take 30 tablets in a morning and then more in the afternoon and evening.

She said on November 6, 2011, she had received a telephone call from Mary Collier, a friend of her mother's, who told her she was very ill.

John drove to Johnston.

"She had changed drastically. She was smaller, dischevelled. I was not sure if she had eaten or drunk anything or taken her medication.

"I gave her a kiss. She had a very, very bad cough. I made her tea but she would only sip it.

"She was very, very down."

Asked if she had made an agreement to end her life, John replied: "I would never agree to end her life.

"My mother was my life. I wanted my mother for as long as I could keep her.

"Even if she asked me to do that why would I do it?"

John said later she telephoned Rogers and told him his Nan was asking to see him.

John said she went to bed and in the early hours got up to use the toilet.

She noticed the light in her mother's bedroom was still on, as was the television, and thought she was still awake.

"I spoke to her but got no response. "

John entered the room and found her mother lifeless.

"She was partly sat up and her eyes were partly open. I touched her hands and they were like rubber. I said 'mum' but there was no reply.

"Barry was knocking at the door."

John let him in and told him, "I think you have missed her. He was shocked and went to see her."

John said that after her death she made the funeral arrangements according to her mother's wishes.

Later, she scattered her ashes at the bottom of her garden in St Dogmaels and started each day by "visiting" them.

John denied ever giving her mother whiskey but said she would sometimes put some into coffee herself.

While being questioned by her barrister, Nadine Radford QC, John revealed she was afraid of her son, partly because he sometimes reminded her of her violent ex-husband.

"I'm scared of Barry. I see a lot of the way his father treated me. I don't like to upset him. He can be very volatile and manipulative.

"I never know which way his mood is going to be, that's why I always have some of his medication with me.

"He has always been an angry boy.

"I always went to his house instead of him coming to mine so that I could always leave."

John said Rogers had served as a soldier in Iraq and returned in an even worse condition.

Rogers, she said, told her he had shot and killed a 13 year old boy and she believed him at first. But, now, she did not.

"He's not always been truthful with me. He will say anything. Sometimes I don't think he understands what he said," she added.

The trial continues.