A KINDLY 83-YEAR-OLD GRANNY HAD A ‘MIRACULOUS’ ESC

A KINDLY 83-YEAR-OLD GRANNY HAD A ‘MIRACULOUS’ ESCAPE FROM

DEATH WHEN SHE WAS SAVAGELY ATTACKED BY HER GRANDSON AFTER INVITING

HIM IN FOR A CUP OF TEA, A COURT HEARD.

JESSIE WATERSON, A WIDOW, WAS STRANGLED, SUFFOCATED, AND

STABBED EIGHT TIMES WITH A CARVING KNIFE, SAID MR CHRISTOPHER DAVIES,

PROSECUTING AT THE OLD BAILEY.

AFTER THE ATTACK HER GRANDSON, TYRONE MARSH, 22, AND HIS

FRIEND, BALDEV SINGH, ALSO 22, SAT CALMLY SIPPING TEA IN HER LIVING

ROOM, MR DAVIES ADDED.

THE COURT HEARD THAT MARSH HAD GONE TO VISIT HIS GRANNY FOR

THE FIRST TIME IN SIX MONTHS ‘HE PAID THE VISIT EITHER TO

SEARCH FOR HER MONEY OR TO ARGUE WITH HER ABOUT HIS GRANDFATHER’S

WILL,’ THE JURY WERE TOLD.

THE GREY-HAIRED, BESPECTACLED PENSIONER, WHO WALKS WITH THE

AID OF A WALKING STICK, INVITED THE TWO MEN IN FOR TEA.

BUT AFTER SHE PUT THE KETTLE ON MARSH GRABBED HOLD OF HER

AND LAUNCHED HIS DETERMINED ATTACK, THE COURT HEARD.

‘THEY ATTEMPTED TO KILL HER BY STRANGULATION, SUFFOCATION,

AND STABBING,’ SAID MR DAVIES.

MARSH, IT WAS SAID, PUT HIS HANDS ROUND HER THROAT, TRIED

TO SUFFOCATE HER WITH A PILLOW, AND THEN THRUST A CARVING KNIFE EIGHT

TIMES INTO HER NECK.

MR DAVIES SAID IT WAS AMAZING THAT THE ELDERLY LADY HAD

SURVIVED.

ONE DOCTOR REPORTED: ‘THIS CAN ONLY BE VIEWED AS A NEAR

MIRACLE IN VIEW OF THE DEPTH AND NUMBER OF THE WOUNDS.

‘

AFTER THE ATTACK MARSH RANSACKED HIS GRANNY’S HOME, IN

OSPRINGE COURT, SIDCUP, SEARCHING FOR MONEY, IT WAS ALLEGED.

THE COURT HEARD THAT MARSH WAS ‘ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE’ FROM

BEXLEY MENTAL HOSPITAL AT THE TIME OF THE ATTACK AND SINGH WAS ALSO A

PATIENT THERE.

BOTH MEN, OF NO FIXED ADDRESS, PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO

CHARGES OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AND WOUNDING ON 1 SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR.

THE TRIAL CONTINUES.

END.