56-year-old Andrew Oliver from Cuffley, Hertfordshire, has been imprisoned for 23 years after he was convicted for an attack on an elderly female relative, aiming to secure her inheritance.
The incident, which took place on January 20th, was detailed at St Albans Crown Court. Oliver’s actions unfolded over a nine-hour ordeal, where he repeatedly assaulted the woman, aged in her 70s, as she attempted to leave her house. He brutally struck her head against the concrete, leaving her lying outside in freezing temperatures while he intermittently entered her house. Despite her pleas and offers of money for him to cease, Oliver persisted in his assault.
The victim’s desperate escape led her to a neighbour’s home around 5AM, leading to Oliver’s subsequent arrest. Investigations revealed Oliver’s significant debts and knowledge of being a beneficiary in the woman’s will. Despite his denial of the attempted murder charge, the jury delivered a guilty verdict.
Detective Inspector Bianca Broadbent from the Welwyn Hatfield Local Crime Unit commented on the case, emphasising the extreme cruelty Oliver exhibited. She noted the victim’s fear of dying in the cold and her attempt to leave a scratch on Oliver as a means to identify him if she succumbed to her injuries.
