A fresh appeal has gone out to catch the ‘coward’ who killed a 97-year-old widow.

Evelyn Jackson dreamed of getting a telegram from the Queen on her 100th birthday but was murdered at her Longsight flat on December 10, 2003.

The widow opened the door to a man claiming to be looking for her great-grandaughter.

He barged into Evelyn’s home before punching her in the face and repeatedly stamping on her as she cowered on the floor.

Cold case’ detectives – who examine unsolved historic crimes – are appealing for information to help catch Evelyn’s vicious attacker.

Read:

Read:

Martin Bottomley, head of GMP’s Cold Case Review Unit said: “It is now more than 12 years since Evelyn died following a savage assault and robbery in her own home.

“Although it was a long time ago, I would ask people to search their memories for information that could help us to trace the person responsible.

“The past 12 years have been devastating for Evelyn’s family, who are desperate to see the person responsible caught and brought to justice.”

I would urge anyone who has any information about this horrific attack to contact us and help bring this family some peace.”

Police say the killer, who snatched £1,000 Evelyn had been saving to buy Christmas presents for her eight grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren, kicked her ‘like a football’.

She sustained a broken hip and a double-fractured jaw and was left on the floor for dead.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

Evelyn died from her injuries after almost two weeks in hospital.

Her killer is still despite countless police and M.E.N. appeals - and cash rewards on offer.

Grandaugher Diane Monks told how she was horrified walking into hospital to see Evelyn following the sickening attack.

She said: “I just couldn’t believe it, the state of her. I nearly passed out. She was covered in bruises. Her face was nearly completely black.

“I’d never seen anything like it in my life. They must have done something horrific to her for her to have ended up like that.

“I just don’t understand how someone could have done that to my grandmother - a 97-year-old woman.”

Read:

Read:

Diane, 46, is urging anyone with information to help ‘put the family out of their misery’.

“Whoever did it is a coward,” she added.

“They must have a conscience after all this time. They need to come forward. We need to know what happened, to put us out of our misery.”

The ‘tough’ great-grandmother was partially deaf and only had one arm after a childhood accident at a mill.

She was married twice and had three children. Evelyn survived cancer, a heart attack and TB - but died at the hands of a coward.

She remained independent and lived alone under caretaker supervision at Bikerdike Court.

Diane added: “She was tough and beat so much. Which is why it’s all the worse she died that way. She was amazing - so funny, always joking and laughing.

“She’s missed. She never stopped talking about getting her telegram from the Queen when she was 100 - she was so excited.

“Whoever killed her took that from her.”

Anyone with any further information about this incident is asked to contact the Cold Case Review unit on 0161 856 5961 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.