Burglar who ‘hog-tied’ and tortured elderly couple jailed for murder

Attack on elderly couple ‘beyond any justification; savage in its nature,’ prosecutors say

Vasile Culea has been convicted of brutally murdering an 86-year-old woman in her home (PA Media)

A man who murdered a pensioner by beating and gagging her as he burgled her Derbyshire home has been jailed.

Vasile Culea, 34, was sentenced to 34 years in prison at Derby Crown Court on Friday for killing Freda Walker.

Culea was also convicted of wounding with intent Ms Walker’s husband Kenneth Walker.

Judge Mr Justice Henshaw, sentencing, told Culea: "You attacked them both leaving them with brain injuries, lacerations and many other injuries.

"Very sadly, Freda Walker died within an hour or so of this savage attack."

He added: "You murdered Freda Walker for gain because you killed her in the course of the furtherance of your burglary."

Mr Walker, an 88-year-old former district councillor, passed away months after his wife was murdered, although his death was not directly connected to the attack.

The court heard that Cuela burgled the elderly couple’s home in Langwith Junction after overhearing in a shop that they had £30,000 hidden away at the property.

Ken Walker with his wife Freda Walker (PA Media)

After entering the property on 14 January, Cuela bound the couple’s hands and feet - known as “hog-tying” - while he searched for the money.

He told a court at a previous hearing that he found £300 in a handbag and stole it.

Ms Walker, who had a bag put over her head during the robbery, was found dead in the kitchen by emergency services the following day. She died of a brain injury.

Cuela previously 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”.

A jury of 11 men and one woman on Wednesday unanimously convicted Cuela, a Romanian national, after just two hours and 15 minutes.

He claimed that he injured Ms Walker after “slipping” on a spilt drink and stepping on her chest after she “fell over” during his attack.

Jurors heard that Ms Walker, a retired seamstress, had a reasonable prospect of survival had she received help after being tied up.

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.

Flowers outside a house on Station Road, Langwith Junction, Shirebrook, near Bolsover, where Freda Walker was killed (PA)

He hid in a utility room until the couple returned home and discovered him.

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. 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.”