Burglar ‘killed dementia sufferer with a headbutt’

A burglar raided two homes after he headbutted an 86-year-old dementia sufferer to death, a court heard.

Ashley Malcolm, 40, broke into John Burke’s flat in Stoke Newington late on 28 September last year and assaulted the pensioner before leaving with a trolley bag of stolen goods.

Malcolm returned to the property Mr Burke shared with wife Peggy, 91, less than two hours later after trying to burgle two other houses including a nearby residential home, the Old Bailey heard.

Prosecutor Mukul Chawla KC said: ‘In each of the burglaries, the prosecution case is that he reacted violently to anyone who challenged him.

‘During the course of the first of the three burglaries at the home of Mr and Mrs Burke, the evidence that you will hear demonstrates that the defendant violently assaulted Mr Burke, including by headbutting him to the head.’

Mr Burke suffered from dementia and was ‘an obviously frail and vulnerable man of advancing years.’

‘As a result of that cowardly assault, Mr Burke died in hospital on 30 September.’

Malcolm, who refused to attend the first day of his trial today claiming he was ‘unwell’, denies murder but admits burgling the three addresses.

After twice raiding the Burkes’ flat, he broke into a nearby residential care home at 6:25am.

Mr Chawla said: ‘When confronted by the support worker who was on duty, he ran towards him and was reaching for something in his waistband and making loud groaning noises.’

He then tried to break into another property in Stamford Hill just 30 minutes later using a screwdriver, the court heard.

‘On this occasion he was unsuccessful, and he was confronted, in fact, by the female occupant.

‘Again, he acted violently when confronted.’

Jurors were told they will be shown CCTV and police body-worn footage tracking Malcom’s movement and arrest, as well as recorded accounts by Mr Burke’s carers and family.

Mr Chawla said: ‘You will have to consider the fact that such an assault was committed against an obviously frail and vulnerable man of advancing years in order to determine whether the violence used by the defendant was intended by him to cause Mr Burke at least really serious physical harm.’

Members of Mr Burke’s family attended the first day of the trial, intently studying the jury bundle from the back of the court.

Malcolm, of Hackney in east London, denies murder.

The trial continues.