Lilian Cross

Lilian Cross died from a stroke she had two days after she was robbed and assaulted in her home.

she was robbed at her home on 26 June 1984, and had a stroke on 28 June 1984 and was taken to hospital where she died from bronchial pneumonia, cerebral infractions  (the stroke), atheroma (furring of the arteries) and high blood pressure on 19 July 1984.

However, the Coroner refused to record a verdcit of unlawful killing at her inquest.

However, her nephew argued that the circumstances surrounding her death justified a verdict of unlawful killing.

However, the Home Office pathologist said that even though there was a high degree of probability that the shock of the attack had brought on the stroke, the link could not be proved.

The Coroner said:

The inquest fuerther heard that the 16-year-old youth that had attacked Lilian Cross had been dealt with by Nottingham Crown Court and ordered to be detained for four years after being found guilty of robbery, assault, burglary and theft.

A detective inspector said that the youth had followed Lilian Cross to her home at an Old Persons Home at West Furlong in Retford after she had collected her pension from the Post Office on 26 June 1984.

He then knocked on her door and pushed his way in when she opened it and then held a knife to her throat and threatened to 'slice her' unles she gave him some money.

He then slapped her face, pushed her to the floor and then ransacked the house. Lilian Cross said that the youth counted to five, and then said:

And that he then pushed over a cair and statered to search her flat.

He then left after she gave him £4.50, however, it was heard that she had still had the £40 pensoin that she had collected that day with her. .  He was said to have terrorised Lilian Cross for 30 to 45 minutes.

At the same trial the youth also admitted a seperate assault with intent to rob a 69-year-old woman on the same day. The woman had lived in North Road. In the past she had given him money for food and bus fares, but when she saw him she was frightened as he had been round the previous night demanding money. She said that she spoke to him through the window and then went to the telephone to call a friend. However, she said that the youth then smashed through the window and snatched the set from her hand and demanded to know whether she was calling the police. He then grabbed the woman with both hands and held her tightly and shook her, but eventually released her and went into the dining room. She said that she then ran out into the street and stopped the first passing vehicle andf the youth ran off.

The court also heard that he had been committed for sentencing from Retford Juvenile Court for five burglaries at old people's flats, a newsagents shop at Carolgate Bridge and at Retford Lawn Tennis Club, and that he had asked for 19 other offences to be taken into consideration.

In mitigation, the court was told that the youth had not gone to Lilian Cross's home with the intention of obbing her and had not taken a knife, but had instead gone there to carry out a confidence trick, such as he had been plasying on other old people, giving a hard luck story to obtain cash.

His defence siid that he had cried when the police interviewed him, and had since become full of remorse. It was added that he had a number of problems, but that a social worker's report had shown that he was not wholly bad, and that whilst in the care of the local authority h ehad proved to be sentitive and caring.

When the youth's lawyer told the judge that the youth was full of remorse at the thought that he might have contributed to her death whcih would be with him for the rest of his life. However, the judge told the youth:

He added that the youth was rapidly becomein a danger and that people had to be protected from him.

It was heard that the question of a charge of manslaughter considered and that papers in the case were sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, but that the reason that none of the charges were brought was because there was no causative link in the case.

Lilian Cross had been registered blind since 1978.