Accused killer ‘may have had sex with pensioner before he murdered her’

A killer accused of tying up and murdering a frail pensioner before going on a £13,000 spending spree with her bank cards may have had sex with her before she died, a court heard.

Susan Hawkey, 71, was found tied up and decomposing under a duvet amongst piles of rubbish in her flat in Aylesbury Road, Neasden, northwest London, on 26 September 2022.

Chelsea Grant, 28, who was pregnant at the time, and her boyfriend Xyaire Howard, 23, lived a two minute walk from her and are accused of strangling her to death three weeks earlier.

They had targeted Ms Hawkey, a retired bank worker, in a series of street robberies before using her stolen house keys to rob her at her home, the Old Bailey heard.

Grant googled how long a decomposing body would take to smell as the couple went on a three week spending spree on perfume, designer goods, a new television, clothing, shoes, sunglasses, watches and handbags, the prosecution said.

Grant and Howard, from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean, deny murder. They admit fraud by using her bank cards.

A condom was found on Ms Hawkey’s sofa with the DNA of Grant, Howard and Ms Hawkey present.

The prosecution alleges that Grant and Howard had sex in the house but Grant says she was not there.

She says her boyfriend rarely showered and they would have regular unprotected sex meaning her DNA could have transferred to the condom from him.

Her DNA was most prominent on the inside of the condom rather than the outside, the court has heard.

Ms Hawkey’s DNA was most present on the outside.

Lynne Hingley, a DNA expert, gave evidence as part of Grant’s defence case.

Ms Hingley said if the condom had been used by the couple having intercourse she would have expected Grant’s DNA to be stronger on the outside than the inside of the contraceptive.

She said if Howard and Grant were having daily unprotected sexual intercourse there would be a high expectation that DNA would transfer to his penis which would then be available for secondary transfer onto a condom.

Ms Hingley said that Grant’s DNA was strongest on the outside of the condom.

Ms Hingley said: ‘The images provided show the condom was found on the surface of the sofa and therefore it would not be unexpected for it to obtain DNA from contact with that sofa.’

Grant’s barrister Melanie Simpson, KC, said: ‘But in this case we know Ms Hawkey’s DNA is fully represented on the outside of the condom.

‘So as far as how you could explain the scientific findings could they be explained by Mr Howard having sexual intercourse with the condom with Ms Hawkey?’

Ms Hingley replied: ’Yes that is one explanation. The issue with that evaluation is the fact the condom was recovered from her premises.

‘Caution needs to be applied but one explanation is the condom was used to have vaginal intercourse with Ms Hawkey.’

Grant and Howard, of Press Road, Neasden, deny murder.

Grant denies three counts of robbery while Howard denies two and admits one.

They both admit two counts of fraud.

The trial continues.