A
handyman, who changed a 70 year-old woman's lightbulb then returned
to rape her and attempt to beat her to death, has killed himself in
his prison cell six days before he was due to be sentenced.
Robert
Richards, 22, broke into the pensioner's suburban Chessington home in
the early hours and left her with ten broken ribs, a fractured
cheekbone and jaw, broken hip and vertebrae and bleeding on the
brain.
He
was convicted at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court of the rape,
attempted rape and attempted murder of the brave woman on October 23,
last year and was due to be sentenced last monday.
However,
at 9am on July 29 Richards, of Pear Tree Close, Chessington, was
found collapsed in his cell at Wandsworth Prison and rushed to St.
George's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9.50pm.
The
court heard he complained of bullying in a suicide note and had been
prescribed anti-depressants.
Ironically
his cell mate killed himself last March.
A
post-mortem was carried out on Richards and an inquest will be heard
at a later date. No indication has been given as to the cause of
death.
Prosecutor
Mr. Jonathan Loades told the court today: “It indicated that he had been
bullied during the time that he was in prison.”
Judge
Nicholas Price QC formally closed the case and said: “In my
experience, both at the Bar and on the Bench I have never had to deal
with a case of such gravity, with a victim of that age and in such
frail health.
“She
has to be commended for her courage in giving evidence in the way she
did before the jury.”
Between
5:30am and 6:30am the women was woken by Richards, who put his hand
across her mouth and threatened to kill her if she screamed.
He
then raped and beat her severely and she suffered a cardiac arrest
whilst being treated in hospital.
Following
the attack Richards left the property via a back door and the victim
was able to alert her neighbours by banging on an internal wall.
Police
enquiries quickly led to Richards being identified as a person of
interest and he was arrested locally the same day.
When
he was brought in to custody he was wearing two pairs of tracksuit
bottoms.
His
clothing was seized and officers found the first pair of bottoms were
covered in blood.
Forensic
analysis identified the blood as the victim's.
Richards
lied that he found the bloodied tracksuit bottoms in the street and
his DNA was also found under the fingernails of the women.
He
tried to create an alibi when he bought tea bags at a local shop,
knowing he would be captured on the store's CCTV.
Detective
Inspector Nicky Arrowsmith said: “I would like to pay tribute to
the spirit and courage displayed by the victim, who gave evidence
during the trial.”
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