Jailed for 20yrs over murder of Annie, 97
A DOCTOR’S son who murdered one of his late father’s elderly patients has been jailed for at least 20 years.
Sandeep Patel suffocated 97-yearold Annie Temple at her home in Kinglassie, Fife, on October 25, 2019.
The chronic gambler had earlier preyed on the pensioner for her money.
The 38-year-old medical researcher was convicted in June of murder. He was yesterday handed a life sentence at the High Court in Glasgow.
Judge Michael O’Grady, QC, said he had not detected ‘a flicker of remorse, regret or hint of humanity’ from Patel.
He added: ‘To kill a 97-year-old woman who had embraced you as a friend in such fashion, with such cruelty, is wicked beyond any description.’
Patel, who appeared via video link from prison, showed no emotion as he was sentenced.
Former insurance worker Mrs Temple, known as Nan, lived alone. She was known to have only a couple of regular visitors, including Patel’s mother. Jurors heard she was found dead in bed.
Police initially did not treat the death as suspicious, but Patel lied to an officer that he had not seen Mrs Temple on the day she died.
Patel said Mrs Temple had been his father’s patient and he had known her ‘ever since I can recall’. He said he did odd jobs for her.
Prosecutors later said Mrs Temple had died after suffering blunt force trauma. Also, her airways had been ‘obstructed’.
Patel, who lived with his mother in Cardenden, Fife, was charged with murder in November 2019.
Mrs Temple’s friend Wendy Bradbury told his trial how the OAP ‘did not trust’ Patel. The witness said: ‘She had money gone missing. She believed the money had been taken by Mr Patel.’
The probe revealed Patel was a self confessed ‘problem gambler’.
He had bet more than £109,000 between 2016 and 2020. And as he received messages about loan arrears, he stole from Mrs Temple. Patel cashed cheques totalling £1,500 in Mrs Temple’s name the week before her death.
He tried to pocket £1,250 more two days before the murder but suspicious staff at Mrs Temple’s bank blocked the payment. It also emerged that in June 2019, Patel had gone with Mrs Temple to her bank to transfer more than £4,000 for a supposed car purchase.
Staff again did not allow the transaction to go through.
In one WhatsApp text in January 2019, Patel stated to a friend: ‘Mrs T got 2-300k in bank’.
The trial in June was hit by delays mostly sparked by Patel, who, at various times, was on crutches, feared he had Covid, suffered ringing in his ears and had failed to take medication prior to attending the court.