Man charged with murder of elderly woman

She was targeted in a burglary


A man has today been charged with murder following the death of an elderly woman.

23-year-old Alexander Kerry is being held in custody and will appear at Norwich Magistrates Court tomorrow.

He was charged with one count of murder and one count of assault by penetration.

78-year-old Pauline King was found dead in her home on The Avenues at around 5.30pm on Sunday.

A Home Office post-mortem examination found she had died of injuries from a sustained assault.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Durham, of Norfolk Police, said they have “sufficient evidence” that the woman was targeted in a burglary.

He said: “We have recovered some property from another address which seems to have been stolen from her home.

“The house itself was dilapidated and there was little of any value – just nick-nacks like kitchen utensils which were next to worthless to anybody else.”

The woman is known to have been “frail” and a “recluse” who kept to herself and refused help from neighbours.

One of her neighbours said: “I can’t believe anybody targeted her.

“She didn’t seem like somebody who would be able to put up a fight and I can’t believe there was anything worth taking inside.”

Kerry will be appearing at Norwich Magistrates tomorrow morning.