Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

An 86-year-old woman was beaten to death and her husband was left for dead by a man who broke into their Langwith Junction home to rob them of £30,000 in cash, a trial has heard.

Vasile Culea’s ‘savage and sustained’ attack on Freda and Ken Walker was ‘completely devoid of any mercy’, Derby Crown Court heard.

Michael Auty KC, prosecuting, said the couple, who received 'frankly horrific injuries,' had lived together for more than 60 years in their Station Road home, before Culea struck.

A concerned neighbour found Freda dead in the kitchen, ‘hog-tied’ by her wrists and right ankle, with a pillow case and a black bin-liner over her head.

Blood had ‘heavily pooled around her body’ and a post-mortem revealed she received ‘multiple blunt force injuries’.

Ken, who had also been gagged and bound, survived with similar injuries, but died in August from natural causes.

Three months earlier, Ken, a former councillor, withdrew £30,000 in cash for home improvements, which he hid in bundles around their cluttered house.

Automatic police number plate cameras tracked Culea's Audi as he carried out four ‘reconnaissance missions’ of the Walkers’ home, while CCTV captured him on foot wearing a high-visibility jacket while completing three circuits of the area on Friday, January 14.

An artist's impression of Vasile Culea accused of the murder of Freda Walker and the attempted murder of Ken Walker at Langwith Junction, Derbyshire. Image: Helen Tipper/SWNS.

Mr Auty said: “Culea knew there was £30,000 there and he was determined to have it. Ken had hidden it but apparently forgot where he hid it.

“Imagine, if you can, the fear. Imagine the stress. Ken would have handed it over in heartbeat if it would have saved Freda suffering.

“As things got worse, Culea would know the consequences of this attack on this elderly couple. There came a time when he had to make sure they couldn't identify him.”

Culea, aged 33, of Grove Road, Church Warsop, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Freda and inflicting grievous bodily harm on Ken, on Tuesday morning. He denies her murder and inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, as well as the attempted murder of Ken.

Mr Auty said: “The issue is what the defendant's intention was. He will say, we anticipate, ‘yes, I am responsible, in whole or in part, for the injuries, but I did not intend really serious harm’.

“The prosecution says ‘no, you intended to kill’.”

The trial continues.

Vasile Culea trial: Derbyshire pensioner Freda Walker beaten to death and husband left for dead in break-in