Burglar guilty of ‘savage’ murder of pensioner he battered and left to die in front of husband

Freda Walker and her husband were ‘hog-tied’ while the burglar stole cash from their home in Derbyshire

Ken Walker with his wife Freda (PA Media)

A man has been convicted of murdering an 86-year-old woman in her home after beating, gagging and tying up the pensioner and leaving her to die.

Vasile Culea, 34, was also convicted of wounding with intent Freda Walker’s 88-year-old husband, former district councillor and alderman Kenneth Walker, at their home on 14 January.

Culea “hog-tied” the couple – binding their hands and feet – while searching their Langwith Junction home in Derbyshire for £30,000 in cash, which he found out about after claiming to have overheard two strangers chatting about it in a shop.

He told jurors he tied both of them up by their wrists and ankles, then searched the house for cash. He said he found £300 in a handbag and took this.

Ms Walker, who had a bag put over her head and died of a brain injury, was found dead in the kitchen by emergency services the following day after neighbours raised concerns.

The court heard Mr Walker died some months later, although his death was not directly connected to the attack.

Culea had already admitted the manslaughter of Ms Walker and the grievous bodily harm of her husband, but prosecutors said he was guilty of fabricating “a nonsense” to cover up for an attack on the couple that went “far beyond any justification; savage in its nature – and sustained”.

The jury of 11 men and one woman unanimously convicted the Romanian national after just two hours and 15 minutes, having heard his claim that he injured Ms Walker after “slipping” on a spilt drink and stepping on her chest after she “fell over” during his attack.

Vasile Culea was convicted of the ‘savage’ murder (Derbyshire Police)

Culea denied the charges of murder, attempted murder and wounding with intent but admitted causing some harm to the pensioners, who suffered “frankly horrific” injuries at their home in Station Road.

Jurors heard claims that retired seamstress Ms Walker had a reasonable prospect of survival had she received help after being tied up along with town councillor Mr Walker.

Giving evidence at Derby Crown Court on Wednesday, Culea said he had hidden inside the house after overhearing a conversation in a Polish shop in which two strangers mentioned a “wealthy house” in Langwith Junction.

Admitting he had tied up the couple, but denying he gagged and hooded them, Culea said he was hiding in the utility room when he was spotted.

He told the jury: “She was in the middle of the utility room and he was stood by the door. She saw me and she started to scream.

Flowers outside the Walkers’ home on Station Road, Langwith Junction, Shirebrook, near Bolsover, where Freda Walker was killed (PA)

“I pushed her, she kind of slipped.”

He said Ms Walker stood up, adding: “Ken was in front of me. He raised his walking stick but I don’t remember if it made contact with me.

“Because the next thing that happened I had been pulled back by [Ms Walker] and I pushed him. He hit the kitchen door.

“After this everything moved in[to] the kitchen. I started to hit them, they hit back… she fell over.”

Culea, of Grove Road, Church Warsop, in Nottinghamshire, will be sentenced at Derby Crown Court on Friday.