Midwife killer gets 31 years

A career burglar who bludgeoned a former midwife to death and set her body alight has been jailed for 31 years on the third anniversary of her death.

Aaron Fyle, 29, beat beloved grandmother Eulin Hastings, 74, with a coffee table after forcing his way into her home in South Norwood, south London, on 10 January 2017.

Fyle who has who has more than 100 convictions for burglary broke into a house on Ms Hasting’s street just seven days before she was murdered while on license for other break-ins.

House-proud Mrs Hastings had bravely tried to fight off the burglar after he shattered her French windows with a rock.

But he clubbed her over the head and left her to die amongst smashed furniture and jewellery strewn across the floor.

After the killing he set a pack of napkins alight and threw them down into the stairwell where the devout Christian lay in her dressing gown.

Her neighbours in Birchanger Road, called emergency services when they saw plumes of black smoke billowing out of the house at 3pm.

Fyle then ‘casually’ raided a second home nearby as a mother tended to her baby.

Police found the killer’s DNA was found underneath Ms Hastings’ fingernails and her bloodstains on his jacket.

Judge Mark Lucraft QC, jailed Fyle for life with minimum of 31 years and said: ‘Burglary has been your way of life for many years.

‘The hallmarks of the way you carried out many burglaries was to look for houses that were unoccupied, to looks for an entry point at the back of the property and then to locate knives within the houses you broke into.

‘Then you moved those knives around the house so you had them close to hand, to threaten should you be disturbed during the course of the burglary.

‘In this case I have no doubt that Eulin did disturb you whilst you were in the process of the burglary and that you picked up the coffee table close to you and you then hit Eulin with that table with great force.

‘The blows to her head caused her death. Having killed her, you then set fire to her and to the house to seek to cover your tracks.’

Paramedics arriving within minuted to treat the ‘loving grandmother’ she was pronounced dead at 4pm with ‘one lower leg burnt away’ completely.

Moments later Fyle was found by officers in the home of Stefana Racean after she managed to escape with her daughter when he smashed through her back window on nearby Davidson Road.

The mother made a frantic 999 call after running out of the front door but Fyle fled the scene when police arrived.

He sparked a chase over garden fences before ending up on a rooftop in Christie Drive surrounded by police.

Fyle threatened to cut himself with a knife before finally surrendering five hours later.

After his arrest the killer remarked: ‘Burglary is one thing, murder’s another.’

Fyle then added: ‘I will not be linked to this matter in any way.’

Police then discovered that the prolific criminal was wanted on recall to prison for other burglaries at the time of the murder.

On 31 March 2015 he was convicted of four burglaries committed in September and October 2014 at Woolwich Crown Court and released in May 2016.

He told jurors he did not see Ms Hasting’s but only a ‘devil’ which he began to batter with the leg of her coffee table.

The Muslim convert had announced 10 months after Ms Hastings’ death that he was possessed by demons and was moved to the hospital wing at High Down Prison in Surrey.

But psychiatrist Dr Richard Latham told jurors there was ‘nothing’ to suggest Fyle had been suffering any mental illness.

Fyle was unanimously convicted of murder.

Prosecutor Brian O’Neill, QC, earlier told jurors Fyle is a ‘career burglar with numerous convictions over many years for dwelling house burglaries.’

Fyle’s criminal record dates back to his teens and in 2009 he was sent to a young offenders’ institution for two and a half years for a £180,000 burglary spree across London.

He first started offending in 2002.

One previous burglary had happened on Ms Hasting’s street.

‘It is right that the court should know that although it was left on the file one of the matter, he was indicted on was a burglary in Birchanger Road,’ he said.

Fyle, currently at HMP Highdown, admitted two counts of burglary and possession of a bladed article but denied murder.

He was jailed for a minimum of 31 years for murder, and concurrently sentenced to seven years eight months for the remaining offences.

Emma Currie, from the CPS, said: ‘As a career criminal Fyle went to vast lengths to satiate his malicious greed. It ended devastatingly, with the death of a 74-year-old grandmother in her own home.

‘Throughout the burglary of Mrs Hasting’s home, Fyle wreaked havoc: a glass lamp was broken, a jewellery box was emptied, and her personal belongings were strewn across the floor.

‘Having set fire to Mrs Hastings, Fyle left his victim alone in her house, and sought out his next victim just some 400metres away.

‘The defendant appeared so casual and relaxed that his second victim thought he must have been a friend of her husband at first.

‘The lengths that Fyle went to for his own greed resulted in burgled homes and a woman’s life callously cut short. He will now have to face justice for his actions. I hope this conviction

DCI Richard Leonard of Specialist Crime (Homicide) said: ‘Eulin Hastings was a retired nurse, well liked in the local community and an active member of the church. Her life had been spent looking after others and it is tragic that such a caring person should have been murdered in her own home, a place where she should have been safe.

‘In contrast Fyle is a serial offender with a horrendous criminal record. This predator roamed the streets browsing homes to identify targets for larceny.

‘He was a prolific offender and, after committing an offence would carry on roaming the streets looking for the next target to burgle.

‘I have no doubt he burgled this poor woman’s home, fatally assaulted her and then set her home on fire to cover up his actions. It shows the depth of this man’s depravity that just a short while later, he was burgling another home.

‘Fyle has shown no remorse whatsoever and I am thankful that he has been convicted and will now face the consequences of his despicable acts.’

Mrs Hasting’s family said: ‘There is no waking from this nightmare it continues every waking moment it disturbs our sleep and disrupts our daily lives.

‘Our mother was a pillar within the community spent her life helping others. She was loved by everyone who knew her.

‘Mum worked as a midwife for over 30 years delivering 100s of babies at St Thomas’s and St George’s Hospitals. Our mother’s final moments will play on our minds and these thoughts will haunt us for the rest of our lives.

‘Aaron Fyle you are a parasite who has preyed on vulnerable people who have worked hard for their possessions.

‘We believe you to be an evil, monstrous individual who killed a defenceless elderly woman, our mother. You destroyed our family home and all our mother’s treasured belongings and possessions.

‘You, Aaron Fyle, have destroyed our lives, you have taken away our beautiful mother and grandmother’s precious life, leaving us with only her badly burnt body lying naked on the floor of her home.’

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