Teenage robber 'stamped on face of woman, 88'

A ROBBER who attacked two elderly sisters left the imprint of his shoe on 88-year-old Lillian Notley's face when he stamped on it, a jury heard yesterday.

Mr David Calvert-Smith, prosecuting at the Old Bailey, said that 17-year-old Francis Casey also fractured 13 of Miss Notley's ribs, probably by stamping on her chest. She died in hospital weeks later from broncho-pneumonia aggravated by her injuries.

Casey also punched her partially-sighted 85-year-old sister Phoebe in the face, causing injuries which kept her in hospital for two weeks, said Mr Calvert-Smith.

Before leaving them unconscious in their home in Islington, north London, he pushed a wardrobe across the front door preventing them getting out.

Casey admits being at their home but denies murder, causing grevious bodily harm and assault with intent to rob.

Phoebe Notley told the jury she remembered hearing the bell ring at their home last November. She was upstairs at the time.

'I heard Lily shout 'Go away'. I went to go downstairs and he came upstairs and punched me in the eye. Lillian was lying on the floor. She was right out.'

Miss Notley said when she recovered consciousness she heard her sister calling 'Phoebe, Phoebe, come and help me'. They alerted neighbours who climbed over the garden wall and got in through the back door.

Miss Notley said the home they had shared for 25 years was ransacked. 'Everything was all over the place in the bedrooms and downstairs. He had even pulled out the telephone.'

The jury saw photographs of Phoebe's battered face, swollen with bruises from the alleged punch which fractured three of her cheek bones. Mr Calvert-Smith also held up a blood-spattered white plimsoll which he said Casey had been wearing when he stamped on Lillian.

The jury heard that Casey left his plimsolls in the house and took a pair of Phoebe's shoes which he was wearing when he was arrested three days later at a hotel in north London. It appeared they were the only items he took although his intention had been to rob, said Mr Calvert-Smith.

Blood found on a jumper Casey was wearing and jeans in his wardrobe was matched by DNA tests to Lillian.