The niece of Ken and Freda Walker said Vasile Culea - the man who tied up and brutally assaulted the two pensioners - was 'cruel and had no conscience'. It comes after a jury unanimously convicted Culea of the murder of Freda Walker but they cleared him of the attempted murder of her husband Ken. Both victims were in their 80s.
A two-week trial at Derby Crown Court was told how 34-year-old Culea got into the couple's home in Station Road, Langwith Junction, hid and then violently assaulted the couple, who had been married for more than 60 years. The defendant, of Grove Road, Church Warsop, then tied them up and put a bag over the head of Mrs Walker while he went looking for the £30,000 in cash he had overheard was at the property.
He wanted the money as he had accrued thousands of pounds of gambling debts. Culea told the jury he had not intended to kill 86-year-old Mrs Walker when he inflicted the fatal injuries on her. But the 11 men and one woman convicted him of murder and of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm on Mr Walker, who was 88 and has since died.
Read more: Police footage showing arrest of Vasile Culea who killed pensioner Freda Walker
The couple's niece Sandra Bunting fought back tears as she spoke after the verdicts were delivered. Ms Bunting said: "(I feel) numb but I'm glad we got the right verdict for Freda.
"(It's hard to think about) the pain and the torture (and I would) like to see a long sentence, a very long sentence for him. He was calculating, he was cruel, he had no conscience - he wanted everything they worked hard for all their lives. Freda was the most caring, she just had time for everybody, she was just happy, a happy person."
Speaking after the verdict was returned, Andrew Baxter, deputy chief crown prosecutor from the CPS, said: “Mr and Mrs Walker were targeted by Culea as he had found out they had a significant amount of cash in their home. His attack was savage, sustained and beyond any justification. He showed no mercy, subjecting them to a terrifying ordeal.
“Culea deliberately targeted an elderly couple. Mr and Mrs Walker were well-liked and respected in their community. They were attacked in their own home, a place where they should have been safe, for no other reason than financial gain.
“During the trial we demonstrated to the jury that Culea knew exactly what he was doing when he attacked Ken and Freda Walker. The level of violence he used and his treatment of the couple left the jury in no doubt that he intended to stop at nothing to get his hands on their money.
“This crime left a family grieving and a community in shock. I would like to offer my deepest sympathy to the Walkers’ loved ones, friends and neighbours and to thank everyone who gave evidence to help ensure Culea was brought to justice.”
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