THE daughter of a man allegedly murdered by his doctor sent the GP a card that read: "Thank you for helping me give my father his last wish."

Alison Moss said she believed Howard Martin had done his best for her father, lung cancer sufferer Frank Moss, during his final hours.

The mother-of-two wept as she relived her father's last moments, at Teesside Crown Court yesterday.

Dr Martin, 71, is accused of killing Mr Moss, 59, Stanley Weldon, 74, of Coundon Grange, and Harry Gittins, 74, of Newton Aycliffe, all County Durham, between March 2003 and January last year. He denies the charges.

Giving evidence yesterday, Ms Moss said the GP had visited her father's home on March 13, 2003, and told her he would not be alive the next day.

She said: "He said he was going to give my father an injection as his breathing was heavy and that he was stressed.

"I found it very unusual because I had been talking to my dad and he seemed excited about getting a new bed, and he was not having trouble breathing at all."

Ms Moss said the doctor told her he would return at 10pm that evening to give her father another injection.

Wiping away tears, she told the jury: "He said he would come back and that he did not think he (Mr Moss) would still be here the next morning and that when he died, I should not leave him in the position he was in because the funeral directors would not thank us if rigor mortis set in.

"He said I had to take the pillows away, he should be lying flat and to make sure his arms were by his side."

Ms Moss said when Dr Martin returned he took out of his bag a syringe that had already been prepared, and injected her father.

"Dr Martin said he was going to give my father a top-up injection, which I thought was quite strange because my father had not woken up from the first one.

"With him being a doctor I thought he knew best so I did not really ask any questions."

At 4.20am on March 14, Mr Moss died at his home in New Row, Eldon, near Bishop Auckland.

She said Dr Martin returned at 8.30am and seemed surprised that she had called another doctor to confirm the death and had informed the funeral directors.

Under cross-examination Ms Moss said she had sent Dr Martin a card days after her father's death.

Her father had wished to die at home rather than in hospital, she said.

The trial continues.