A gambler who tied himself up and brutally assaulted a senior was sentenced to prison for over three decades. Vasile Culea confessed to having entered Kenneth as well as Freda Walker’s Station Road home in Langwith Junction on January 14, 2022.
Culea had been told that the couple had a large amount of cash in the house they shared for over 60 years. But when the couple were unable, or could not provide Culea that money, the man brutally attacked the couple. They were unable resist the assault after he put a bandage on their feet and hands and placed bags on Freda’s head.
He was captured on CCTV walking away from the home of the couple where he’d left Freda critically wounded along with Kenneth struggling for life. The couple were discovered on the next day by a concerned neighbor. Freda was dead, and Kenneth was in critical state. Culea’s DNA was discovered on a cap found in the home of Walker and officers detained the 34-year old on Thursday, 20 January, at his residence located in Church Warsop.
After his arrest, investigatorstracked his activities on the Friday of January 14th, with video of Culea looking around Freda and Kenneth’s house during the afternoon. The case was crafted by detectives from the Major Crime Unit meant that Culea was the only one to acknowledge his presence in the home – however, Culea denied that he planned to kill the couple.
The jury consisting of 11 jurors and one woman on the bench at Derby Crown Court did not believe in him and found him guilty of the murder of Freda. For trying to murder Kenneth the jury did not find him guilty, however they did find the defendant guilty of assault that caused serious bodily injury with intent.
The court heard testimony on Thursday (October 28,) Culea was sentenced to 34 years in prison. Justice Andrew Henshaw Justice Andrew Henshaw sentenced Culea from Grove Road, Church Warsop to an indefinite sentence for the murder of Mrs. Walker as well as a “concurrent” 14-year sentence in prison for the serious bodily harm committed by Mr Walker. This means that he will have to spend at least 34 years in jail before he could apply for parole.
The judge stated: “On January 14, 2022, you walked into at the house of the much-loved and revered elderly couple, Kenneth as well as Freda Walker, in order to get cash from their accounts. Freda was 86, and Kenneth was 88.
“In pursuance of that plan you brutally assaulted each of them, leaving with lacerations, brain injuries and a host of other injuries. Freda Walker passed away within an hour following this brutal attack. Kenneth Walker, having previously had a job, was now dependent on nurses for all his requirements.
“The burglary, however not the murder of Mrs. Walker was pre-planned and planned. This murder was certainly not planned or pre-meditated. I’ve been thinking about it to whether, under these circumstances you planned to murder Freda Walker. The evidence suggested that the wrappers in time would probably have been sufficient to lead to Freda’s death.
“It is claimed in your defense that if you had planned Freda’s death, then you would have ensured it. The Crown contends that you could have been completely indifferent as to whether she died or lived. I think that that method of putting it is true.”
The Temporary Police Inspector Carolyne Van Schaick, who led the investigation stated: “While today’s sentencing can not reverse the actions of Culea, I would like to see it provide a sense of closure for Freda and Ken’s families and their friends.
“His actions have devastated a whole community. While Ken might be able to have survived the attack but he lost his wife and spent the rest of his days needing regular care. He sadly died just before the hearing was scheduled to be decided.
“I would like to thank the families of Ken as well as Freda who have shown tremendous determination throughout an extremely difficult time, and the Shirebrook people from Shirebrook who have been supportive of one another, and throughout this investigation.”
