A widower who tried to meet new women by placing a lonely hearts advert in the local paper ‘was attacked and killed by drug addicts for his PIN number,’ a court heard.
John Cornish, 75, died after suffering a cardiac arrest inside his home in Weymouth, Dorset following an ‘assault’ last September.
The father was found with 42 injuries including shallow stab wounds which suggested he had been ‘prodded in the face’ with a knife, Winchester Crown Court heard.
Hannah Day, 29, and Aaron Brown, 39, today appeared in court accused of manslaughter and attempted robbery. The pair deny the charges.
Jurors today heard how Mr Cornish had placed an advert in the paper in a bid to find a new partner after feeling ‘lonely and vulnerable’ when his previous relationship ended.
John Cornish (pictured), 75, died after suffering a cardiac arrest inside his home in Weymouth, Dorset following an ‘assault’ last September
The father had run a bed and breakfast with his wife until she died in 2002, before entering a relationship with another woman which ended a decade later.
Mr Cornish then met Day, 29, in 2015 who befriended the pensioner before allegedly stealing bank cards from him and making five purchases in May last year.
Day and Brown are also accused of attempting to steal cards and cash from Mr Cornish on September 6.
Speaking in court, Mr Cornish’s daughter Beverley explained how she ‘saw danger and told him so’ after her father befriended the young woman.
She said: ‘He explained her [Day’s] difficult situation and he felt sorry for her and he said that she was just a young woman that needed some support. I did not necessarily agree with that, I saw danger and I told him so.
The father was found with 42 injuries including shallow stab wounds which suggested he had been ‘prodded in the face’ with a knife, Winchester Crown Court heard. Pictured: The scene
‘I did have concerns that he was being taken advantage of. She would come and make him a cup of tea.
‘He thought he was being useful by giving her a bed fro the night or giving her some money for the bus to see her parents. I thought that was OK, but I was a bit worried.’
Ms Cornish told jurors that during the summer of 2019 she noticed a change in her father’s demeanour and had become extremely concerned.
Answering questions from prosecutor Matthew Jewell QC, Ms Cornish described how when she visited her father at his home, his phone had been ringing constantly.
Her father had described an occasion where he had come downstairs in the morning to find Day asleep in his house, having ‘carded’ his front door to gain access without his permission, Ms Cornish told the jury.
Ms Cornish said: ‘He felt pressurised to give her money. There had been threats and arguments as to what he could and could not give her.
‘He told me that he was very concerned because she was part of a violent group of people.
The father had run a bed and breakfast with his wife until she died in 2002, before entering a relationship with another woman which ended a decade later. Pictured: Police at the scene
‘He said that he was quite fearful about opening the door, there had been incidents when Hannah, she had repeatedly asked for money and he felt like a prisoner in his own home.’
The trial, held before High Court judge Mr Justice Garnham, previously heard how Mr Cornish died of a cardiac arrest in the evening of September 6 last year after an ‘assault’ at his home.
It was alleged that Day, of no fixed address, and Brown, from Weymouth, had caused him 42 injuries, as well as shallow stab injuries which suggested he had been ‘prodded in the face’ with a knife.
The court previously heard how Mr Cornish reported to police that Day had used his card to steal £21,000 in 2016, the BBC reported.
The woman said she had taken £32,000 with his permission and was not prosecuted.
Day and Brown both deny manslaughter and attempted robbery.
The trial continues.