Langwith Junction: Vasile Culea visited four betting shops on day of attack on Derbyshire pensioners

Freda, 86, died after receiving “multiple blunt force injuries” and husband Kenneth, 88, survived with similar injuries, but died in August from natural causes.

Derby Crown Court heard Culea entered their Station Road home to rob them of £30,000 in cash on January 14.

The court heard today how on the day of the attack Culea was seen in Shirebrook entering Betfred at around 8.20am before visiting a William Hill shop in Mansfield.

The 34-year-old then entered another Betfred shop in Mansfield and later returned to the original Betfred shop in Shirebrook.

Derby Crown Court heard during the same day Culea conducted seven reconnaissance missions past the Station Road home Freda shared with husband Kenneth.

Culea’s Audi A4 car was seen passing the couple’s home from various directions – executing U-turns and at one point parking up as he walked past the house on foot twice.

Detective Michael O’Connor confirmed for Michael Auty QC, prosecuting, that at around 6.30pm Culea received a text message from the Buffalo Spins gambling website.

Freda’s friend tried unsuccessfully to call her at 7.26pm and at 8.26 pm – exactly an hour later – Culea was seen walking down an alleyway at the back of the Walker’s garden.

Culea’s ‘savage and sustained’ attack on Freda and Ken Walker was ‘completely devoid of any mercy’, Derby Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

Michael Auty KC, prosecuting, said the couple, who received 'frankly horrific injuries,' had lived together for more than 60 years in their Station Road home, before Culea struck.

A concerned neighbour found Freda dead in the kitchen, ‘hog-tied’ by her wrists and right ankle, with a pillow case and a black bin-liner over her head.

Blood had ‘heavily pooled around her body’ and a post-mortem revealed she received ‘multiple blunt force injuries’.

Ken, who had also been gagged and bound, survived with similar injuries, but died in August from natural causes.

Three months earlier, Ken, a former councillor, withdrew £30,000 in cash for home improvements, which he hid in bundles around their cluttered house.

Automatic police number plate cameras tracked Culea's Audi near the Walkers’ home, while CCTV captured him on foot wearing a high-visibility jacket while completing three circuits of the area on Friday, January 14.

Mr Auty said: “Culea knew there was £30,000 there and he was determined to have it. Ken had hidden it but apparently forgot where he hid it.

“Imagine, if you can, the fear. Imagine the stress. Ken would have handed it over in heartbeat if it would have saved Freda suffering.

“As things got worse, Culea would know the consequences of this attack on this elderly couple. There came a time when he had to make sure they couldn't identify him.”

Culea, of Grove Road, Church Warsop, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Freda and inflicting grievous bodily harm on Ken, on Tuesday morning. He denies her murder and inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, as well as the attempted murder of Ken.

Mr Auty said: “The issue is what the defendant's intention was. He will say, we anticipate, ‘yes, I am responsible, in whole or in part, for the injuries, but I did not intend really serious harm’.

“The prosecution says ‘no, you intended to kill’.”