Grandmother Eileen Dean, 93, beaten to death with metal walking stick by fellow care home resident
Following a trial of the facts at the Old Bailey, Alexander Rawson, who is mentally ill and deemed unfit to stand trial, was found to have attacked and killed Mrs Dean.
Friday 5 November 2021 06:21, UK
A care home resident has been found responsible for killing a 93-year-old grandmother with a walking stick.
Alexander Rawson, 63, attacked and killed Eileen Dean in her bedroom less than two weeks after he moved into the same residential home in Catford, south London.
Police were called to Fieldside at around 12.40pm on 4 January after Mrs Dean was found with severe facial, head and upper body injuries, the Old Bailey heard.
She had been beaten repeatedly with a metal walking stick and was taken to hospital, but died the same day.
Rawson phoned 999 in a state of distress and agitation, and said: "I think somebody's been killed and I don't know what's happening."
He told the operator: "I think I might have done something wrong."
When officers examined CCTV they saw Rawson holding a metal walking stick near the scene at around 10.20pm.
He was next seen coming from the same direction approximately two hours later. No-one else was captured on CCTV between that time period.
A blood-stained metal walking stick in Mrs Dean's room had Rawson's fingerprint on it. She had been self-isolating in her room at the time of the attack while she recovered from coronavirus
Mrs Dean, who suffered with dementia, had lived at the care home since June 2020. She was described as "very calm, lovely and quiet".
She was independent and only required support for her personal care, jurors were told.
Rawson moved into the bedroom next door in late December last year, having previously been detained under the Mental Health Act and been an in-patient at two south London hospitals since last July.
Following a trial of the facts at the Old Bailey, Rawson, who is mentally ill and deemed unfit to stand trial, was found by a jury to have attacked and killed her.
He will be sentenced on 20 December.
Detective Chief Inspector Chris Wood, who led the investigation, said: "Our thoughts remain with Eileen's family who have been through an incredibly traumatic experience and conducted themselves with the utmost respect and dignity throughout this trial process.
"Eileen was a completely defenceless woman whose life was suddenly taken away in a horrific manner.
"She had already been through a great deal, losing her husband almost 30 years ago, but she was described as a calm, quiet and lovely woman by all those who knew her.
"We hope her children and grandchildren have the space to grieve together now the trial is complete and to remember Eileen for the wonderful woman she was."