Murder accused spent dead widow's money, jury hears

A man accused of murdering an 86-year-old widow took money from her handbag and spent it at an ex-servicemen's club the day after her death, a trial has heard.

Una Crown, who was found dead at her home in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire in 2013, had been stabbed four times and her throat was cut.

David Newton, 70, who lived near Mrs Crown, was charged in 2024 after DNA matching his profile was found on nail clippings taken from Mrs Crown in 2013.

Prosecutor John Price KC told Cambridge Crown Court it was "most unusual" that Mr Newton, who denies the murder, could have afforded to visit the club twice in one day.

Mr Newton, of Magazine Close, was on state benefits in 2013 - his only source of regular income, said Mr Price.

Mrs Crown, who lived in a bungalow on Magazine Lane, was found on 13 January 2013 - the day after she was believed to have died - with injuries to her throat and chest and her clothing set on fire.

Her niece's husband had gone to collect her for Sunday lunch when her body was discovered in her hallway.

Mr Price said it was alleged Newton "murdered Una Crown and helped himself to cash of hers found in her handbag".

Police found only silver coins in Mrs Crown's handbag, said the prosecutor.

Her niece, Judith Payne, said in a statement Mrs Crown "would have had notes, so I would have expected to see some as she would usually get cash back from Tesco on a Friday".

Mr Price said police established Mrs Crown had got £40 cash from Tesco on 11 January - her first card transaction since Christmas Eve - and she had an upcoming hair appointment, which normally cost £40.

He said the balance on one of Newton's two accounts on 11 January was £74.62, with the other receiving fortnightly benefits "always immediately fully withdrawn in cash" - with the last previous withdrawal made on 4 January 2013, he said.

But the prosecutor said Newton attended Wisbech Ex-Servicemen's Club once on 12 January - when he played the fruit machine - and twice on 13 January, when he was "spending freely" and played the fruit machine on both these visits.

He added "on many occasions, being seen more than once to exchange notes at the bar for bags of coins".

Newton paid £80 into an account on 14 January - the first cash paid in for 15 months, said the prosecutor.

Mr Price said the defendant spent a "lot of time" on the phone on the afternoon and evening of the day it was alleged he murdered Mrs Crown.

He had called his late sister, who had told her granddaughter Newton had been drinking, was crying and asked to come round for a drink, the prosecutor said.

Mr Price said the defendant had also called his aunt, 79, and "said he had some special massage oil which he could massage on for her" to treat a painful elbow.

"She felt very uncomfortable with this suggestion and told him he wasn't needed," the prosecutor said, before he replied he could be there in 15 minutes.

Mr Price said DNA evidence was the "nucleus of the case".

DNA matching Newton's was discovered by scientists in 2023 on Mrs Crown's nail clippings, with some of Newton's close male relatives excluded from being a match through testing.

He said only Newton lived a "stone's throw" from Mrs Crown and there was no other evidence to connect the other men to her.

"There is no evidence they were seen in or anywhere near Magazine Lane that Saturday night," said Mr Price, "and there is no evidence any of them was drunk that Saturday night and pestering elderly women on the telephone.

"And there is no other evidence suggesting any of them suddenly acquired some cash that weekend and were able to go out entertaining themselves more often than was usual."

The trial continues.

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