Man found guilty of murdering widow, 86, in 2013

A man has been found guilty of murdering an 86-year-old widow and trying to set her on fire.

The body of Una Crown was found at her bungalow on Magazine Lane in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, on 13 January 2013. She had been stabbed four times and her throat had been cut.

David Newton, 70, who had denied murder, was charged in April 2024 after DNA evidence taken at the time was reviewed.

He has been convicted by a majority of 10 jurors to two following a trial lasting more than three weeks at Cambridge Crown Court.

He will be sentenced at the same court on Friday.

The trial heard Newton, a retired kitchen fitter who lived near Mrs Crown on Magazine Close, had originally been arrested on suspicion of murder in January 2013 before being released without charge.

Speaking after the verdict, Det Sgt Simon Oldfield, of the Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: "For more than a decade David Newton thought he had gotten away with this most horrendous crime, but today's result shows you cannot hide forever."

Mrs Crown's body had been discovered in the hallway of her home after her niece's husband had gone to collect her for Sunday lunch, but she failed to answer the door.

It is believed the retired postmistress had been killed the day before.

DNA matching Newton was found on nail clippings taken from Mrs Crown's unburnt right hand in 2013, and they were re-examined using modern techniques 10 years later.

When officers from Cambridgeshire Police arrived at the scene, they did not immediately recognise Mrs Crown's death as suspicious and it was initially treated as "unexplained".

It led the defence in the court case to claim the scene had potentially been contaminated by people who attended that day.

The court heard that three nail clippings taken from Mrs Crown's left hand had gone missing during that time, and defence barrister Henry Grunwald KC asked how jurors could be sure that "things done in a laboratory" had been done properly.

He told jurors they could not "be sure" the DNA had come from Newton.

Mr Grunwald said there had been "many, many mistakes" made by police, the crime scene had not been secured immediately and it was "chaotic" and "unregulated".

However, Newton did not give evidence during the trial and no defence witnesses were called.

John Price KC, for the prosecution, suggested jurors needed to fit pieces of evidence together when deciding whether Mr Newton was guilty.

"No-one saw who murdered Una Crown," Mr Price told the trial in his closing prosecution argument.

"David Newton has not admitted that it was he.

"He has always denied it - though without ever claiming to actually recall the events of that critical night."

The prosecution barrister added that a "series of truly remarkable coincidences" must have occurred if the defendant was "not the person who stabbed Una Crown".

The judge in the case, the Honourable Mr Justice Neil Garnham, sent jurors out to deliberate the evidence on 6 February.

After 29 hours and 13 minutes, they returned a guilty verdict.

Speaking outside court, Det Sgt Oldfield added: "Today we have finally secured justice for Una and her family, 12 years after her death.

"Mistakes were made during the initial investigation in 2013, for which we have apologised to Una's family.

"Once again, we acknowledge those errors and apologise it has taken this long for Una's family to get justice.

"Vital evidence was retained from the 2013 crime scene which gave the crucial evidence breakthrough using a DNA testing technique not available in 2013."

He commended the teams who had worked on the case from 2013 to the present day and said a total of 10,580 items of material were sorted and disclosed to the court - the largest-ever general disclosure exercise for the force.

"Nothing can take the pain of this heartbreaking case away," he added, "but I hope today's verdict gives Una's family the closure they deserve and the answers they have longed for.

"My thoughts are very much with them at this time."

Following the conviction, Matthew Golby of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: "For reasons only known to himself, [Newton] inflicted truly horrendous injuries to Una Crown who should have been safe in her own home.

"Working closely with police, advancements in DNA technology provided us with the compelling forensic link which would finally ensure Newton face the full consequences of his actions.

"We were determined to achieve justice for Una, no matter how long it took, and our thoughts remain with her family and loved ones who we hope can find some comfort in today's verdict."

In a family statement released at the conclusion of the trial, Julia Green, Una Crown's niece, thanked the prosecution, and said: "In 2013 we heard our Auntie Una had passed away. Two days later we heard it was murder and our worlds stopped.

"An elderly widow watching her favourite TV programme, feeling warm and safe in her own home.

"The attack was brutal, horrific and an assault on a defenceless, frail elderly widow.

"The verdict today has prevented him causing further distress and misery to others."

She said a number of close relatives, including Mrs Crown's brother, had passed away since her death, and never knew justice had been served.

She added: "We'd like to thank all who have helped get us to this point today and we can now carry on with our lives knowing justice has been done."