A HANDYMAN killed a vulnerable woman in a burglary then used her stolen bank cards to splurge on food and watches, a court heard.
Hugo Da Silva Pires, 28, allegedly overpowered Nelly Akomah, 76, before swiping her phone, purse, electronics and bible.
Nelly was discovered dead the following day on June 21 in her Croydon home.
She had suffered a fractured larynx suggesting she was strangled and two broken ribs, with tests ongoing to confirm a cause of death.
Her bank cards had been used to buy food and watches after her death, it is alleged.
Pires and his partner Catia Feliciano, 31, were arrested on June 23 at Stansted airport as they allegedly attempted to leave the country.
Read more news
Woman in her 60s dies after being found injured at house as man, 39, arrested
Man, 66, ADMITS murdering dad and son who were shot dead six miles apart
He appeared at the Old Bailey today charged with murder, burglary and fraud.
The Portuguese national spoke to confirm he understood his translator during the hearing.
A provisional three-week trial was set for May 7, 2024,with a plea hearing scheduled for September 13.
Feliciano, who is charged with fraud and perverting the course of justice, will appear at the Old Bailey on July 24.
Most read in The Sun
Disgraced ex-Sky Sports host weds daughter's best friend 30 years his jnr
Highest earning daytime TV host revealed – and it's not Holly Willoughby
Nicole Scherzinger ENGAGED to rugby star Thom Evans as he pops question on beach
I begged my daughter Katie Price to stop her dangerous plastic surgery
Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn, of the Metropolitan Police, previously said Nelly was an active church member and that her loss would be "keenly felt by many people".
Source: Read Full Article
