Man beat mother-in-law to death

Mrs Wright had lost her husband recently before her death

A market trader has been found guilty of murdering his 73-year-old mother-in-law and business partner.

David Hill, 48, bludgeoned Molly Wright over the head at her home in Castleford, West Yorks, leaving her on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood.

He then drove away before returning minutes later and feigning shock at her death, Leeds Crown Court heard.

A jury took six hours to find the greetings card seller unanimously guilty of murder.

During a five-week trial, the jury heard how Hill had been hiding debts of about £20,000 from Mrs Wright, his business partner at Castleford indoor market, after taking out a series of loans and credit cards.

Inheritance delayed

He had transferred money from their joint business account to his own personal account and killed Mrs Wright when she began to express doubts about the state of the business, the court heard.

But Hill, of Lakeside Meadows, Pontefract, denied killing her on 27 September 2006 and said he had simply been making a routine visit to her home to drop off the day's takings.

After pulling up at her bungalow in Redhill Gardens, Hill told the court he saw Mrs Wright with a wound at the side of her head and said he tried to resuscitate her before ringing 999.

Last week, his wife Maxine took the witness stand to declare that she did not think Hill "would ever hurt my mother".

The court heard Hill had hidden his debts by altering the business bank statements by hand, photocopying them and sending them to Mrs Wright's home.

Just one month before her death, his mother-in-law had asked a solicitor to delay the process of her late husband's will, from which Hill and his family were due to receive an inheritance of about £135,000.

The married father-of-two was remanded in custody to be sentenced on Tuesday.

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