Man accused of killing Halesowen pensioner found dead in his cell

Leo Barnes was discovered in his cell at HMP Hewell in Redditch by prison officers yesterday.

Barnes was accused of battering the 80-year-old grandmother to death at her home in Juliet Road before killing another pensioner, 67-year-old Philip Silverstone, in London the next day.

He had been on trial over the deaths last week at Wolverhampton Crown Court, but did not appear in the dock on Friday. The trial was due to resume today.

Police have revealed this morning that Mr Barnes was found hanging in his cell. As is standard protocol with all prison deaths, an investigation into his death will take place but it is not thought to be suspicious.

West Midlands Police Detective Inspector Caroline Corfield, who led the murder enquiry, said: "I am shocked to hear about the death of Leo Barnes who was found dead in his cell at HMP Hewell by prison staff. His death is not deemed suspicious.

"Family Liaison Officers have been supporting the families of both Cynthia and Philip - and officers have also notified Mr Barnes' next of kin."

Cynthia's daughter, Beverley Hadley, said: "We are devastated as a family that the man we believe is responsible for the brutal murder of my beloved Mum is not going to face justice for this horrendous crime.

"On Friday 27 June 2014 my life changed forever when my Mum and best friend went missing.

"Without Mum, every day of our lives is painful and empty. Every day I wake up thinking about her and believing that this whole nightmare is just a dream, but then the realisation hits me over and over again that it is not a dream ? it really is that nightmare.

"We have been deprived of those valuable final years of Mum's life and those precious moments with her to say our final goodbyes.

"She is missed by everyone who knew her and her loss has left a huge void. Our lives have been devastated and changed forever. As a family we are now suffering our own life sentence."

Police said Barnes' death was not being treated as suspicious.

West Midlands Police spokesman Brigg Ford said: "He was found dead in his prison cell by prison staff.

"His death is not being treated as suspicious. West Mercia Police will be carrying out a full investigation into the circumstances of his death."

Barnes, who was 33, from Balsall Heath, Birmingham, had denied two counts of murder.

Opening the case at Wolverhampton Crown Court last week, prosecutor Stephen Linehan QC told the jury that Barnes had known both his victims.

His first victim was Mrs Beamond who had met him growing up as his grandparents lived on her street in Juliet Road, Halesowen, the court heard.

Mr Linehan QC said he would visit the pensioner and on the morning of June 27, the day of her alleged murder, he had been driving a hired Volkswagen Golf in the nearby area.

Mrs Beamond was last seen talking to a doorstep salesman in the morning by a neighbour.

She had been due to visit a friend shortly afterwards but did not arrive or answer her phone.

Mr Linehan QC told the court: "The reason Mrs Beamond didn't go to her friend's home that day and the reason she didn't answer her phone was shortly after that salesman left that front door, this man attacked her and killed her in her own home."

He said afterwards he had closed the curtains in every room of her home in a bid to clean up what he had done and search the property for anything valuable he could steal.

The court heard that he had driven away in the pensioner's Vauxhall Astra because he intended to sell it and left it nearby so he could come back for it later.

Mr Linehan QC said he had recruited someone to pick up the car later before asking her to help him put it up for sale on Gumtree.

He also allegedly stole Mrs Beamond's television, Sat Nav and jewellery which he sold to pawnbrokers.

Mrs Beamond's handbag was found discarded in a bin.

The pensioner was found dead in the garage of her home after her family grew concerned that they could not contact her and phoned police. The court heard that her body was hidden under items she had stored there and a postmortem examination revealed she had suffered numerous head injuries after being struck many times on the head with something heavy.

Mr Linehan QC said a plastic bag had been put over her head and alleged that she had been battered with a 'heavy, metal' saucepan before he discarded everything but the lid, leaving his fingerprints there.

He said Barnes' fingerprints were also found on a cup and splatters of blood were discovered along with a mop bucket full of water.

Late on June 28, automatic number plate recognition cameras captured Barnes driving down to Belsize Park, London.

There he visited Mr Silverstone who lived in a flat with his 86-year-old wife who suffered from severe dementia. The court heard that he had lived next door to the couple in the past and got to know them. Mr Linehan QC said Barnes had taken a scissor jack to the flat and attacked Mr Silverstone, leaving him with multiple incised wounds and lacerations, caused by 'blunt force trauma'.

He said Mr Silverstone had bled to death and was later found by Mrs Silverstone's carer 'slumped' and 'motionless' in the bedroom.

Mr Linehan said: "This was a ferocious attack. The person who carried it out must have intended to either kill Mr Silverstone or cause him very serious injuries."

The court heard he had also wounded Mrs Silverstone, who was incapable of telling anyone what happened due to her health condition. The court heard he was arrested the next day and Mrs Beamond's body was found a day later. He denied murder and refused to answer any other questions, the court heard. Barnes told police he went to see Mr Silverstone to buy DVDs.