Cocaine
thug jailed
for murder
of Navy
veteran, 87

Daniel Crompton, 24, threw his hands up and burst into tears, after the jury forewoman delivered the verdict that he murdered widower Frank Worsley yesterday morning.

Father-of-one Crompton, shouted “I’m sorry” to his family in the public gallery, before sitting down, sobbing with his head in hands in the dock at Manchester Crown Court. However, in the afternoon when sentenced he shouted abuse at the jurors and had to be led struggling down to the cells.

Jurors were also in tears as they were told for the first time Crompton had 47 previous offences – including a knifepoint robbery and for throwing a cup of boiling hot sugared water over a fellow inmate in jail.

Grandfather-of-two Mr Worsley died from a stroke less than three weeks after being battered by jobless cocaine user Crompton. Mr Worsley’s harrowing 999 call was played to the court during the trial as the pensioner begged the operator: “Help me please. He’s hit me and beaten me and attacked me and taken my wallet.”

He had been awoken by Crompton standing over him in bed before being punched in the face with demands for money.

Crompton had admitted two burglaries on the same night last summer, including the burglary of Mr Worsley’s house, but denied murder, claiming his victim was injured in a struggle.

Second World War veteran Mr Worsley, who served in the Royal Navy Medical Corps, was attacked at home in Longfield Road, Daubhill, at about 12.40am on August 3. He had lived at the mid-terrace house with his wife Mary, since 1949, and had nursed his wife for 25 years during her illness with multiple sclerosis, until her death in September 2012.

Mr Worsley was founder of a church-run Youth Club and Sunday school teacher at his local church St Bedes in Bolton.