Jeremy Mogford, 78, owner of Oxford's Old Bank Hotel, and his sister, Sarah Pickering, 71, appeared at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday to deny the murder and attempted murder of their mother, Pamela Mogford. The siblings are accused of killing their 100-year-old mother in February 2022.
Both were charged in October and released on bail. They appeared via video link and entered pleas of not guilty, speaking only to confirm their identities and their pleas. A four-week trial is scheduled to begin on November 9.
Mogford, of Oxford, and Pickering, of Guildford, Surrey, were charged in connection with Ms. Mogford's death on February 15, 2022, in Bledlow Ridge, Buckinghamshire. Thames Valley Police stated that no further details would be released as the proceedings are active.
Pamela Mogford was the daughter of a Wycombe insurance broker and married Major Peter Mogford in 1946. The couple was married for 70 years until his death in 2015. Major Mogford had also been involved in the hotel industry. Ms. Mogford had resided in Bledlow Ridge since her marriage. A death notice described her as an active and "fun-loving" village resident.
Thames Valley Police's major crime unit began investigating the circumstances surrounding Ms. Mogford's death in 2023.