Jobless burglar 'murdered frail Second World War veteran, 87

An 87-year-old widower was murdered in his home by a burglar looking for money to buy cocaine, a court heard today.
Second World War veteran Frank Worsley died from a stroke less than three weeks after being punched by jobless drug user Daniel Crompton, while he lay helpless in bed, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Jurors looked visibly shocked as Mr Worsley’s frantic 999 call was played to the court, where he begged the operator: 'Help me please. He’s hit me and beaten me and attacked me and taken my wallet.'

Crompton, 24, woke the elderly man up and began being punching in the face while he demanded to know where he kept the money in his Bolton, Greater Manchester, terrace home.

The court heard the father-of-one had financial problems relating to payday loans, but was still a regular user of the Class A drug.
Mr Worsley, who was also a Sunday school teacher, had lived in the property with his wife Mary, since 1949, and had put extra locks on doors after they were burgled in 2010.

His wife died after suffering multiple sclerosis in 2012, and he was living alone when Crompton burgled his home in August last year.
Crompton, from Bolton, admits the burglary, plus a second burglary hours before, but denies the murder and an alternate count of the manslaughter.

The court heard that, despite suffering from a heart condition, Mr Worsley was still active and regularly 'out and about'.
He took blood thinning medication, Warfarin, which prevented his blood from clotting to stave off a heart attack.
But after being admitted to the Royal Bolton Hospital for treatment following the attack, doctors had to stop this medication so his blood would clot as a result of the injuries he sustained.

But Mr Worsley then suffered a stroke on August 7 last year and died on August 20 after his condition deteriorated rapidly.
'The crown say that this is murder,' Rob Hall, prosecuting, told the jury.

Mr Hall said that last July, Crompton and his girlfriend Beverley Hardman, the mother of his son, Mason, had money problems but the defendant was a 'regular user of cocaine'.

'It is a combination of money worries and, the Crown say, Mr Crompton’s desire to purchase more cocaine that caused him to burgle Mr Worsley’s house in the early hours of August 3 last year.'
Mr Worsley had left a bathroom window open at the back of his house which Crompton climbed through.
'Mr Worsley awoke to find the defendant standing over him,' Mr Hall said.
'The defendant began to shout "Where’s your money?".

'Mr Worsley told Mr Crompton he did not have any money.
'Mr Crompton then removed his vest and wrapped it around his right hand.
'What Mr Crompton then did took this incident to a whole new level. This was not just burglary.
'What he chose to do was to beat the defenceless Mr Worsley repeatedly in the face.'

Mr Worsley still refused to comply with the demands so Crompton snatched a wallet and chequebook instead - but left his palmprint on a window frame as he escaped.

Jurors were played the 999 call from the distressed pensioner, breathing heavily and struggling to hear the operator.
'Help me, please!' he said. 'I’ve been attacked by somebody who’s broken in. I was asleep and he just woke me up.'

Asked how he was, Mr Worsley replied: 'Shocked.'

The victim was left with a cut lip and bruising but 'under the surface' there were more significant injuries - a subdural bleed on the right side of his brain.

Crompton returned to a friend’s house after the attack, sweating, with grazes and scratches on his face, but with cash and a gram of cocaine.

Just hours before, Crompton, also burgled the house of a friend, stealing a TV and computer.
He was arrested for burglary and robbery and in custody when police charged him with murder following Mr Worsley’s death in hospital.