Burglar who murdered South Norwood pensioner jailed for life Published duration 10 January

image copyright Met Police image caption Retired midwife Eulin Hastings was attacked after finding Aaron Fyle in her home

A prolific burglar who attacked and killed a woman with a coffee table before setting fire to her body has been jailed for a minimum of 31 years.

Aaron Fyle, 29, from Croydon, battered retired midwife Eulin Hastings, 73, over the head in January 2017.

He broke into her home in South Norwood, south-east London and attacked Mrs Hastings after being disturbed.

Fyle, who was convicted of murder, started a fire at the bottom of the stairs where she lay dead or dying.

The Old Bailey was told he tried to put out the blaze before leaving to burgle another home, occupied by a mother and her baby.

image copyright Met Police image caption Aaron Fyle was described as a "career burglar"

The woman managed to escape with her daughter and called police, who found Fyle still in her house, armed with a knife.

Fyle, who jumped fences and leapt on to a roof, threatened to harm himself during a five-hour stand-off.

He later admitted the burglaries, possessing a knife and the manslaughter of Mrs Hastings. However, he was convicted of her murder when his claims of self-defence and mental illness were rejected.

Judge Mark Lucraft QC jailed him for life, with sentences for the other offences to run concurrently.

The judge noted the defendant's previous convictions and told him burglary had been his "way of life for many years".

In a statement on behalf of the family, Mrs Hastings' daughter, Sonia Rhone said: "She was always there to provide helpful, sage advice and valuable life lessons to us all, whenever we had problems.

"Her life was cut short whilst enjoying her final retirement years by someone who had never done an honest day's work in his life," she said.