Riot police storm house close to where widow, 89, was murdered
Riot police storm house close to where widow, 89, became London’s 86th and oldest murder victim so far this year after being battered to death ‘by burglars’ in her own home
- Dorothy Woolmer found dead yesterday morning in Tottenham, north London
- Officers wearing helmets and carrying riot shields seen entering nearby home
- Horrific killing shocked neighbours, who described Ms Woolmer as frail
Riot police have stormed a house close to the property in which an 89-year-old widow was killed, sparking the capital’s 86th murder investigation of 2019.
Thugs battered Dorothy Woolmer to death in her own home during a ‘burglary’ and police have launched London’s 86th murder investigation of this year.
She was pronounced dead after being found on Sunday morning. Police hunting the attacker say the pensioner, who is understood to have lost her husband earlier this year, had ‘clearly been assaulted.’
Officers wearing helmets and carrying riot shields were seen entering a home in Tottenham, north London, this afternoon.
Police wearing riot gear enter a house in Tottenham, north London, as they investigate the murder of an 89-year-old
Officers are pictured entering an address in Tottenham, close to where the 89-year-old was murdered on the weekend
Police are pictured as they appear to raid a house in Waltheof Gardens, where the 89-year-old was killed
Pictured: Forensics officers are at the scene in Tottenham, north London, this morning as they investigate the murder
Pictured: The blocked-off crime scene in Tottenham, north London, this morning, where forensics are scouring the scene for evidence
Police are pictured at the scene of the murder in Tottenham, north London, this morning, where residents are in shock over the killing
Mourners are pictured arriving at the scene today to pay their respects to the 89-year-old killed in her own home
Dorothy Woolmer died in her own home after intruders broke in. Police (pictured at the scene) have opened a murder investigation
Pictured: Police at the scene in Tottenham, north London, this morning, where an 89-year-old woman has been murdered
Pictured: A map showing the locations in which murders have taken place so far in the capital this year
Detectives believe intruders got into her address at some point on Saturday night before beating the pensioner, who was frail and walked with a zimmer frame.
Reports of a suspected ‘friend or family member’ who had blood-stained clothes near the scene are being investigated.
Forensics are pictured at the scene in Tottenham, north London, where a brutal assault ended the life of an 89-year-old woman
Police were called by paramedics at around 10.45am yesterday after the body was found at an address in Waltheof Gardens.
DCI Garry Moncrieff, of the Met’s Specialist Crime unit, said: ‘The woman had clearly been assaulted and, as such, a murder investigation has been launched.
‘I want to hear from anyone who saw anything suspicious in and around Waltheof Gardens and the surrounding area on Saturday night or Sunday morning.
Forensics officers are pictured scouring the scene in Tottenham, north London, following the death of the pensioner
‘In addition, somebody locally may be aware of a friend or family member who they saw with blood stains on their clothing, or whose behaviour caused them particular concern on Saturday night or Sunday morning. If so, I need to hear from them.’
DCI Moncrieff said burglary is one possible motive, but officers are retaining an ‘open mind’ at this stage. A post-mortem and formal identification are due to be scheduled.
The former housewife and keen gardener lived in a two-storey terraced home in Tottenham with her husband Ken Woolmer, a former Royal Navy engineer, for more than 60 years. Ken passed away a few years ago, according to neighbours.
Police outside a house in Tottenham and at the cordon after an elderly woman was found murdered inside her own home
Former RAF conscript John George, 91, who lived near Dorothy, said: ‘I couldn’t wish for a better neighbour. She used to trim her hedges and tidy her garden. I used to say, ‘Alright, gardener!’
‘She was a very pleasant lady; and Ken was a most helpful man, any time of the day. They were just good neighbours from ex serviceman to another ex serviceman, he was just a nice guy.’
He added: ‘It’s an absolutely disgusting attack on a 89-year-old. It’s bloody awful, even as a 91-year-old and I’ve got me principles. You think we are all safe, but then something like this happens. We don’t often see a policeman.
‘We only had a break in two weeks ago and they stole a television and laptop. I don’t know if they are going around sussing everybody out.’
Another neighbour, who gave his name as George, 77, added: ‘It’s disgusting what’s happened. A lot of them are targeting elderly people who live on their own.’
Residents say the murder isn’t the first violent crime in that part of Tottenham. Annie Le, 28, said she was mugged while visibly pregnant opposite Ms Woolmer’s home five years ago.
‘She could barely walk to leave her home,’ she said. ‘She was quite frail. She used a zimmer frame. I literally got mugged around there. They mugged me while I was visibly pregnant. They don’t care who they attack. This area is dangerous.’
She added: ‘There were youths on bikes and one snatched my bag.’
Father-of-one Sayed Hussain, 40, lives two doors from the home of tragic widow Dorothy Woolmer where her body was found on Sunday morning.
Accounts manager Mr Hussain said: ‘I have only two words – not human. No human can think like that. I’ve not a single word to explain my sorrow.’
He added: ‘We all have to go some time, but it shouldn’t happen like that. Secondly, I don’t understand why, to our senior citizens? They are exceptional. Most of them on this road are senior citizens; all of them are very good. It’s really terrible, it shouldn’t happen.’
She is the 88th – and oldest – murder victim in London this year. A local resident said of the neighbour who found the body: ‘She checks in on Dorothy every couple of days, but hadn’t heard from her.
‘The door was left open, so she walked in to find her still in bed. She had been sleeping downstairs because she couldn’t make it up them anymore. She said it was truly horrible. She called an ambulance straight away.’
The neighbour added: ‘We don’t know how long she had been there for.’
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