Elderly widower died after beating by burglar

Frank Worsley died from a stroke less than three weeks after being battered by jobless cocaine user Daniel Crompton, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Jurors looked shocked as Mr Worsley’s 999 call was played to the court as he begged the operator: “Help me, please. He’s hit me and beaten me and attacked me and taken my wallet.”

He had been woken by Crompton, 24, standing over him in bed before being punched in the face with demands to say where he kept his money, the jury heard.

Mr Worsley had lived at the mid-terrace house in Daubhill, Bolton, with his wife Mary since 1949, and had put extra locks on doors after they were burgled in 2010.

His wife died in late 2012 after suffering multiple sclerosis, and he was living alone when he was burgled again by Crompton on August 3, last year.

Crompton, from Bolton, a father-of-one, admits the burglary, plus a second burglary hours before but denies the murder and an alternative count of manslaughter.

The court heard Mr Worsley was still active and regularly “out and about” despite his age but he also suffered from a heart condition.

He took the blood-thinning medication Warfarin, which prevented his blood from clotting to stave off a heart attack.

But after being admitted to the Royal Bolton Hospital for treatment after the burglary, doctors had to stop this medication so his blood would clot to prevent bleeding on his brain from the beating by Crompton.

But Mr Worsley then suffered a stroke on August 7, last year and died on August 20 after his condition deteriorated rapidly.

“The crown say that this is murder,” Rob Hall, prosecuting, told the jury.

On the balmy summer’s night, Mr Worsley had left a bathroom window open, which Crompton climbed through.

“Mr Worsley woke to find the defendant standing over him,” Mr Hall said. “The defendant began to shout ‘Where’s your money?’.

“Mr Worsley told Mr Crompton he did not have any money.

“What Mr Crompton then did took this incident to a whole new level. This was not just burglary. What he chose to do was to beat the defenceless Mr Worsley repeatedly in the face.”

The pensioner still refused to comply with the demands so Crompton snatched a wallet and chequebook instead – but left his palmprint on a window frame as he escaped.

The trial was adjourned until this morning.