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Two smiling schoolgirls took this selfie just hours before the vulnerable woman was battered to death, a court heard.

Angela Wrightson, 39, begged for mercy as she suffered more than 100 injuries, a jury has been told.

Her alleged killers, aged 13 and 14, posed for a snap during the torture, it was claimed.

The frail haunting figure of Angela can be seen behind them, sat on a sofa, staring straight ahead.

This grainy image was later posted on Snapchat by one of the girls with the caption “Nah xx,” Leeds crown court heard.

The jury has previously been told how the victim was beaten from around 7.30pm on December 8th, 2014 after she visited a local off-licence to buy cider.

In his opening, prosecutor Mr Nicholas Campbell QC said of the snap: “Both defendants are smiling.

“Angela Wrightson is alive but she is not smiling and her face is marked.”

(Image: SWNS)

He went on: “The circumstances of this image and its publication are revealing.

“Having captured that moment in time, (younger girl) did indeed publish it, uploading it on to Snapchat. Before it left her phone, someone - either she or (older girl) - had typed “Nah xx” on to the image.

“Whatever that caption means, that photograph was not published to show that Angela Wrightson was having a good time that night.”

(Image: SWNS) (Image: SWNS)

The prosecution in the case claim that when the picture was taken the girls had already started beating Ms Wrightson.

But the defence claim the selfie does not show bruising to her face.

It has been claimed after leaving the house the pair, who were in local authority care, brazenly phoned the police for a lift home.

They then took a second Snapchat selfie in the back of the police van.

(Image: PA)

It is alleged, the younger girl took a picture of her friend in the back of the police van and posted it on the Snapchat app with the caption: “Me and (name) in the back on the bizzie van again.”

Angela’s body was found on a settee by her landlord in her blood-spattered home.

She was stripped naked from the waist down and dirt had been spread around her private parts, it was claimed.

The court hard she’d been battered with household objects including her TV and a vase at her home in Stephen Street near the centre of Hartlepool, County Durham.

It is believed the attack may have begun as early as 7.30pm and could have ended as late as 2.56am the following morning.

(Image: Google)

It is claimed the girls - now aged 14 and 15 - had smashed a TV over her head, beat her with a stick studded with screws and a kettle, a pan and a ceramic vase.

The court heard, Miss Wrightson pleaded for her life, saying: “Please stop, I’m frightened” and “Please don’t, stop, I’m scared.”

Her pleas fell on deaf ears, the court heard, with the girls allegedly kicking her until pieces of flesh flew from her head.

The jury heard how, covered in their victim’s blood the girls tried to call one of their carers and got no answer, before ringing a local taxi firm who also failed to answer.

It was claimed they decided to call the police for a lift home, giggling so much as they did so that the operator asked them “what’s so funny?”

The trial continues.