MURDERER AND RAPER OF ELDERLY WOMAN SENTENCED TO LIFE
A burglar who severely assaulted and murdered an 80-year-old woman at her home in Kirkby has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 31 years.Charles Stapleton, aged 51, previously admitted to the murder of Teresa Wishart, who was found dead at her residence on 19 October.
He also admitted to stealing her jewelry but initially denied rape, although he later changed his plea to guilty before his trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
Mrs Wishart, a grandmother of 11, was discovered by her youngest daughter, having suffered from severe blunt-force head injuries.
The court was told Stapleton was a drug addict with 108 prior convictions.
He lived nearby and had befriended Mrs Wishart, doing odd jobs beforehand.
The court heard he was acting suspiciously on the night of the attack, seen stumbling near her home.
After assaulting her and causing her head injuries, he ransacked her house and stole her wedding ring, which he subsequently pawned for £110.
He received a life sentence for murder, and 6 years for burglary, plus 12 years for rape, all to run concurrently.
Judge Clement Goldstone QC described the crime as beyond belief, highlighting that Stapleton raped Mrs Wishart, which compounded the horror of the attack.
Her family expressed their anguish, stating they would 'never forgive Stapleton for his brutal and despicable acts.' Her eldest daughter Lesley called him a 'monster' who denied her mother a dignified death.
The senior crown prosecutor described the crime as 'terrible' and the rape as 'utterly, utterly appalling.'
