A daughter staying at her father’s home ahead of her mother’s funeral was woken by the sound of him being bludgeoned to death by his friend, a court has heard.
Anthony Rooks, 80, was repeatedly hit with a brandy bottle by neighbour Sable Thomas outside his North London flat three days before he was due to bury his wife of 46 years.
His daughter discovered him unconscious outside the front door of the Tufnell Park property after being woken by raised voices and the sound of banging on 4 May 2020.
So badly had he been beaten that part of his ear was detached. He died shortly after.
Thomas was jailed for life on Friday after he had previously admitted manslaughter by virtue of diminished responsibility at Wood Green Crown Court.
The 43-year-old - who has never said what sparked his violence - was told he must serve a minimum of eight years before applying for parole.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Rooks’ granddaughter said the killing had left the family feeling like it was “living in a constant nightmare”.
She said: “Little did we know that three days before our nan’s funeral, this horrific tragedy would rock our world and change our lives forever.
“Our biggest question is why anyone would want to hurt such a loving, funny, giving and caring old man, especially to that extent?
“As a result of Grandad’s death, we are living in a constant nightmare thinking about the house in which we shared so many happy memories…We have experienced the harsh reality of evil that exists and that anybody, even a friend, is capable of absolutely anything.
“We did not get to say goodbye, it feels like we are already serving a life sentence as there is nothing that will bring him back or ease the pain of his loss. To say our hearts have been broken would be an understatement.”
Detective Sergeant Brian Jones, from the Metropolitan Police’s specialist crime command, said: “This is an absolutely heart-breaking case where a much-loved grandad was killed in the most brutal way by his friend and neighbour who was suffering from a mental health issue.
“Anthony being killed in such a traumatic way was absolutely devastating for his family, who were already grieving for Anthony’s wife – their mother and grandmother. They suddenly found themselves having to plan for not one, but two funerals, during the midst of a pandemic.”
