Drug thug killed Nellie - claim

Nellie Geraghty

A widow who died after a bag containing her husband’s ashes was violently wrenched from her grasp by a drug user, may have been fatally “stamped or kicked” during the robbery, a court heard.

Nellie Geraghty (79) was found “deeply unconscious”, face down in the mud on a cut-through 100 yards from her home in Shaw, eight months ago.

The pensioner died almost 48 hours after what was described at Manchester Crown Court, yesterday, as a “most violent attack”.

Mark Royle (37), of no fixed abode, denies murder, manslaughter and robbery.

Mrs Geraghty, whose husband Frank died in 1994, had a serious injury to the back of the head, as well as bruises and scrapes.

The active and independent 4ft 10ins woman was walking to the Thursday luncheon club at the community centre in Victoria Street from her bungalow on Elizabeth Grove when she was attacked.

She was discovered later on the footpath apparently suffering a seizure. She died in the Royal Oldham Hospital shortly after midnight on November 26 from internal bleeding and a heart attack.

Prosecutors say Mrs Geraghty was the victim to a man “feeding his drug habit”.

CCTV footage shows a man - alleged to be the defendant - riding a mountain bike in a red jacket before and after the incident.

The prosecution alleges Mrs Geraghty suffered serious head injuries with the “overwhelming likelihood” she was knocked to the ground and kicked or stamped on, orwas punched and hit her head.

Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, said Royle, living rough in Shaw at the time, was a user of hard drugs and funded his habit with crime.

Mrs Geraghty, who carried her husband’s ashes everywhere, often had up to £200 in her bag, the court heard.

Royle had visited a friend on the morning of the robbery in “desperate” need for money. Later that day he had a substantial amount of cash on him

Witnesses said Royle was later spotted near a bridge over the River Beal — and a later river search turned up Mrs Geraghty’s bag.

Her husband’s ashes are still missing.
Proceeding