A TERRIFIED 76-YEAR-OLD GRANNY WAS TRAPPED IN HER
A TERRIFIED 76-YEAR-OLD GRANNY WAS TRAPPED IN HER LIVING
ROOM BY THE BODIES OF HER DAUGHTER AND GRANDAUGHTER AFTER A KNIFEMAN
RAMPAGED THROUGH HER HOUSE, A JURY WAS TOLD ON THURSDAY.
DISTRAUGHT PENSIONER KITTY POPE COULD NOT ESCAPE FROM
HER FLAT BECAUSE HER TWO LOVED ONES WERE SLUMPED DYING
AGAINST THE DOOR, THE OLD BAILEY HEARD.
THE TRAGIC MOTHER AND DAUGHTER WERE SAVAGELY STABBED WITH A
ONE FOOT LONG CARVING KNIFE WHEN FREDERICK BEESLEY, 43, WENT
BESERK, SAID MR JULIAN BEVAN, PROSECUTING.
HE HAD BEEN JILTED BY HIS GIRLFRIEND, MRS JANET HARRIS, A
41-YEAR-OLD DIVORCEE.
HE WAS ‘BESOTTED’ WITH HER, THE COURT HEARD.
HE BURST INTO THE HOUSE IN FINLAY RD, FULHAM, GRABBED A
CARVING KNIFE AND STABBED TO DEATH MRS HARRIS AND HER DAUGHTER,
JAYNE, 18, A PRINCESS OF WALES LOOK-ALIKE, THE COURT HEARD.
MR BEVAN SAID: ‘HE DID IT BECAUSE HE WAS A REJECTED LOVER.
THE
MOMENT HAD COME WHEN HIS TORMENT TURNED TO VIOLENCE.
‘
WHEN THE HORRIFYING ATTACK BEGAN GRANDMOTHER MRS POPE WAS
WATCHING THE TV PROGRAMME ‘THIS IS YOUR LIFE.
‘
BEESLEY HAD LET HIMSELF INTO THE HOUSE AND MADE HIS WAY TO HIS
ESTRANGED LOVER’S FLAT ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
‘HE WAS STONE COLD SOBER,’
SAID MR BEVAN.
‘MRS POPE HEARD SCREAMS FROM UPSTAIRS.
THEY WERE GETTING
LOUDER AND LOUDER,’ COUNSEL ADDED.
SHE DASHED TO THE FLAT AND WAS CONFRONTED BY THE SIGHT OF HER
GRANDDAUGHTER SITTING IN AN ARMCHAIR WITH BLOOD ON HER HAIR AND FACE.
BEESLEY WAS STANDING OVER HER AND SHE WAS CRYING HYSTERICALLY, THE
JURY WAS TOLD.
MR BEVAN SAID BEESLEY LAUNCHED AN ATTACK UPON THE GRANNY,
KNOCKING HER TO THE FLOOR AND STRIKING HER HEAD.
BUT MRS POPE MANAGED
TO ESCAPE.
SHE RAN DOWNSTAIRS AND LOCKED HERSELF IN HER LIVING ROOM.
SHE CALLED THE POLICE AND THEN WAITED.
‘SHE HEARD NO MORE NOISE.
SHE WAS EXPECTING THE POLICE TO
COME.
SHE WENT TO GO OUT OF THE HOUSE BUT FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO GET
INTO HER HALLWAY.
THE REASON WAS THAT HER DAUGHTER AND GRANDDAUGHTER
WERE SITTING OUTSIDE WITH THEIR LEGS BLOCKING THE DOOR,’ SAID MR
BEVAN.
HE ADDED:’SHE DID NOT REALISE THE SERIOUSNESS OF WHAT HAD
HAPPENED.
SHE WAS CONFUSED.
‘
WHEN POLICE ARRIVED THEY FOUND THE TWO WOMEN UNCONSCIOUS.
THEY
WERE RUSHED TO HOSPITAL BUT DIED SOON AFTER ARRIVAL.
DETECTIVES QUICKLY TRACED BEESLEY TO HIS HOME IN BENDEMEER
ROAD, PUTNEY.
AT FIRST HE DENIED THE KILLINGS BUT LATER ADMITTED
BEING RESPONSIBLE, IT WAS ALLEGED.
HE WAS SAID TO HAVE TOLD DETECTIVES:’THIS WHOLE THING IS
TERRIBLE.
IT WAS DESPICABLE.
I FEEL SICK INSIDE.
‘
THEN HE HELD HIS HEAD IN HIS HANDS AND SAID:’IF ONLY YOU KNEW
HOW MUCH I LOVED THAT WOMAN.
I LOVED HER MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
‘
MR BEVAN SAID BEESLEY’S FLATMATE HAD SEEN HIM IN A PUB SOON
AFTER THE KILLINGS AND DESCRIBED HIM AS BEING ‘IN GOOD FORM AND
LAUGHING.
‘
THE COURT HEARD THAT MRS HARRIS HAD BEEN BEESLEY’S CHILDHOOD
SWEETHEART.
BUT THEY HAD GONE THEIR SEPARATE WAYS.
LATER BOTH HAD
UNSUCCESSFUL MARRIAGES AND DIVORCED.
THEY MET UP AGAIN AND LIVED
TOGETHER FOR SIX YEARS.
MR BEVAN SAID THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS STORMY AND PUNCTUATED BY
BEESLEY’S DRUNKEN VIOLENCE.
FINALLY MRS HARRIS SAID SHE WANTED
NOTHING MORE TO DO WITH HIM.
BUT HE WAS ‘DESPERATE’ TO RENEW HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HER.
MR
BEVAN SAID THE JURY WOULD READ LETTERS HE WROTE TO MRS HARRIS
PLEADING WITH HER TO GO BACK TO HIM.
BEESLEY, PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO THE DOUBLE MURDER OF MRS
HARRIS, A SOCIAL SERVICES RECEPTIONIST, AND HER SHOP ASSISTANT
DAUGHTER IN NOVEMBER, LAST YEAR.
.
HE FURTHER DENIED WOUNDING MRS POPE WITH INTENT TO CAUSE HER
SERIOUS HARM.
THE TRIAL CONTINUES.
MFL
CENTRAL NEWS SERVICE, 33 GOODGE ST, LONDON, W.
1.
OLD BAILEY
SEPT 18
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