Grieving widower was brutally 'stripped and murdered by young couple' who then used her bank cards in £13,000 spending spree while her body decomposed, court told

A young couple is on trial for allegedly robbing and murdering Susan Hawkey, a 71-year-old pensioner who lived alone. Prosecutors claim that Chelsea Grant, 28, and her boyfriend Xyaire Howard, 23, targeted the vulnerable victim, who was struggling to cope with the recent deaths of her parents and partner. The suspects are accused of tying up and murdering Miss Hawkey in her home, stealing her bank cards and PIN, and spending £13,000 of her money during a three-week spree. Miss Hawkey’s body was found decomposing in her home after friends reported her disappearance.

Prosecutor Annabel Darlow KC stated that the attack was motivated by greed and self-interest, with the victim being strangled. The couple allegedly spotted Miss Hawkey as an ideal victim and had mugged her twice on the street before using her stolen keys to enter her home and steal her card. Despite Miss Hawkey canceling her stolen card and threatening them with a hammer, the couple allegedly returned, obtained her PIN, and made nearly 150 transactions, depleting her savings in three weeks. The trial is expected to last up to five weeks, and both defendants have denied murder and robbery charges, with Howard admitting to a single charge of robbery.