SICK MONSTER
»»Brute admits the savage rape and murder of Esther, 67, in her home »»Thug hit OAP with bits of chair and kicked and stamped on her head
A BRUTAL thug who raped and murdered a pensioner in her own home is facing a life sentence.
Jason Graham, 30, yesterday admitted killing Esther Brown, 67, at her flat in the Woodlands area of Glasgow on May 28.
He punched, kicked and stamped on her head and body before hitting her with pieces of wood from a chair.
He also raped her and left her dead in her blood-soaked flat for four days.
Concerned friends contacted police after Esther failed to show up for a church service and a pre-arranged walk in the city’s Kelvingrove Park.
Officers found her body in the flat, which had a “clear sign of a disturbance”.
DNA evidence led to officers arresting Graham, who was being monitored by police after being released from a seven-and-a-half year sentence for raping a retired nurse in 2014. At the High Court in Glasgow yesterday, Graham, of the city’s Govan, pled guilty to murdering and raping Esther.
Judge Lord Armstrong told him: “You have been convicted of the most gravest of crimes involving the most depraved actions on your part, characterised by the utter brutality involving extreme and sustained violence against a defenceless woman in her own home.”
The court heard Graham was under surveillance after being released from jail in June 2018.
On the day of Esther’s murder, he had been kicked out of a pub.
Graham, who did not know Esther, went to the rear garden of her apartment and CCTV images showed him going inside the block of flats.
Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC said: “It is presumed Graham knocked on the door of Esther’s flat and gained entry.” A post-mortem found she had “extensive bruising around the entire face” as well as a broken nose and nasal bone. She also had severe cuts to her mouth and bruising to parts of her body. There were cuts found on her hands “which could have been sustained as she attempted to ward off blows”.
Bruising was also discovered which was “consistent with sexual assault”.
Mr Prentice said Esther’s death was caused by “blunt force trauma of head and chest”. Graham was later spotted on CCTV using Esther’s bank card to buy tobacco at a shop. The court heard he called a relative and said he “robbed the flat and panicked” and had “done something bad”. Graham stayed with the relative for several days and saw a news story about the discovery of Esther’s body.
The hearing was told his “eyes went wide” and he looked “shocked” before saying: “I just robbed the place, I was looking for a turn.”
Police found Graham at the relative’s flat and arrested him.
Lord Armstrong deferred sentence until November 12.
Detective Superintendent Suzie Chow, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Teams, said: “This was a brutal attack that left Esther’s family and the community devastated.
“It has been a harrowing ordeal for her family, friends and those who knew her.
“The response from the local community in the aftermath of Esther’s murder demonstrated how loved and respected she was. While nothing can change what has happened, I hope this conviction will bring them some degree of comfort.”