Former prosecution case worker stamped Hornchurch pensioner Rosemary Shearman to death, court hears
Rosemary Shearman - Credit: Archant
A former prosecution case worker stamped a pensioner to death after meeting her at his mother’s bridge club, a court heard.
Thomas Blazquez, 51, allegedly attacked 77-year-old Rosemary Shearman on the day she was due to head off on a luxury cruise.
Pathologist Dr Benjamin Swift told jurors at Southwark Crown Court yesterday that the Hornchurch woman’s injuries were consistent with her being repeatedly stamped on.
The court also heard that Blazquez, of Onslow Gardens, South Woodford, bound and gagged Mrs Shearman with duct tape and nylon rope.
Dr Swift said: “In my experience, from the large number of fractures to the ribs on both sides, it is in keeping with a stamping type assault.
You may also want to watch:
“With all of these injuries, where there is injury associated with the bindings, it seems she was alive when the bindings were put on her.”
The pathologist said Mrs Shearman’s hands were bound by rope and duct tape and that further tape was around her head and upper neck.
Most Read
- 1 Consultations open on rolling out school streets to 12 new sites
- 2 Romford MP slams Crossrail delay as it will miss Queen's platinum jubilee
- 3 Coffee shop apologises for 'mis-post' offering kitten as Christmas prize
- 4 Harold Hill 18-year-old given suspended sentence for ATM robberies
- 5 Romford’s M&S staff go viral with Thriller dance TikTok video
- 6 Cabinet to vote on proposed changes to how housing is allocated in Havering
- 7 'Cheating surge': Dating site reveals how many people are having affairs in your area
- 8 Hundreds arrested after police crackdown on county lines
- 9 Brentwood attack: CCTV appeal after man repeatedly kicked in head
- 10 Future of bus route hangs in the balance as consultation ends
He also said a fabric tie was around her face and a handkerchief was “pushed right to the back of her throat,” blocking the “back of the mouth as well as the nose”.
A post-mortem found Mrs Shearman died from multiple chest wall fractures and mechanical obstruction of the upper airways.
Dr Swift said her rib injuries would have “compromised normal breathing and contributed to her death” and that asphyxiation had been caused by the handkerchief.
Mrs Shearman’s body was found by neighbours in her Platford Green home in September last year.
The court heard she had received heavy blows to her head and face, causing a broken nose and cuts to her scalp.
Blazquez, who allegedly attempted to take his own life, admits manslaughter but denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Read more:
CPS clerk beat Hornchurch’s Rosemary Shearman to death before attempting suicide, a court heard
Trial of man accused of murdering Hornchurch pensioner Rosemary Shearman set to begin
