Romanian man jailed for beating elderly woman to death and leaving her in a pool of her own blood, in botched burglary
28 October 2022, 17:23
A Romanian man has been sent to prison for more than 30 years after beating an elderly woman to death and leaving her husband fighting for his life in a botched burglary attempt.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Vasile Culea, 34, broke into the home of Kenneth and Freda Walker, aged 88 and 86 respectively, in the Derbyshire village of Langwith Junction on January 14 this year.
Culea had heard the Walkers had £30,000 in the home they had shared for 60 years - and he was looking to steal it to pay off his £11,000 in gambling debts, Derby Crown Court heard on Friday.
After coming into their home via the back door, he hid in a utility room and waited for them to come home.
When they arrived in the house, the former Sports Direct worker brutally attacked them, binding their hands and feet and covering Ms Walker's head in bags.
The bags "interfered" with her breathing and she was found dead the next day by a neighbour, lying in a pool of her own blood.
She had suffered 25 separate injuries, including a brain injury. But she would have survived if her face had not been covered, the court heard.
Mr Walker, a former local mayor, was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. He was suffering from lung cancer and died before the case came to trial.
CCTV captured Culea walking away calmly from the crime scene, but had only managed to take £300. Police officers found his DNA on a cap he left at the crime scene. He was arrested the next day.
Culea, who came to the UK in 2015, admitted that he was at the house but claimed he did not want to kill the couple. He admitted the lesser charge of manslaughter, claiming to have slipped on a spilled drink and stood on Ms Walker's chest.
He was found guilty of Ms Walker's murder, but not guilty of her husband's attempted murder. He was found guilty instead of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm with intent.
Culea was sentenced to 34 years in prison. for the murder, and 14 years for the assault, to run at the same time.
Mr Justice Andrew Henshaw KC said, sentencing Culea: "You left her face down on the floor tightly tied by the wrists and ankles, virtually unable to move. You placed plastic and fabric wrapping around her mouth and these interfered with her breathing.
"At the very least you were callously indifferent to whether Mrs Walker lived or died."
Jemma Mitchell sentenced for 34 years for Deborah Chong murder
The couple's niece Sandra Bunting said: "I am numb but glad they have got the right verdict.'How anybody could inflict that pain and torture I don't know...
"He was calculating, he was cruel and he had no conscience. All he wanted was money, money they had worked all their lives for.
"Freda was the most caring person. She loved everybody and had time for everybody. She was a happy person. She is missed by everyone who knew her."
Daughter speaks as man is convicted of murdering her mother who died 21 years after petrol attack
Temporary Detective Inspector Carolyne Van Schaick, who helped lead the investigation, said: “While today’s sentencing can never reverse Culea’s actions I hope it provides some degree of closure for Freda and Ken’s family and friends.
“His actions have devastated an entire community and, while Ken may have survived the attack, he had lost his wife and lived out his remaining days requiring constant care before he sadly passed away shortly before this case was due to be heard.
“I would like to once again thank the family of both Ken and Freda who have shown immense courage throughout what has been such a difficult time, as well as the community of Shirebrook who have supported each other, and this investigation, throughout.”
