“Una was 86 when you killed her. She was a widow living alone. She was a widow living alone. She was a slight lady, only 4ft 10 although advanced in years she was vigorously independent – cooked cleaned and cared for herself and enjoyed company of friends family and neighbours”.
The opening remarks of Judge Justice Neil Garnham as he sentenced David Newton to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 21 years, for the murder of Una Crown in 2013. This was reduced to 20 years and 61 days due to the time Newton had already spent in custody.
The judge said: “She was described by her family as feisty, not afraid to speak her mind or stand up for herself. You knew her as a nearby neighbour to do the odd job for. You would pass the time of day with her when you walked your dog around the town and described her as a very nice very kind little lady.
“That that is what you thought of her, makes all the more extraordinary the events of 12 January 2013. The intruder must have had a key or persuaded her or forced her to let him in. I have the gravest doubt whether she would ever have let you in if you would have knocked at her door. I find it a fact you had had a copy of her back door key made for yourself when you bought her a replacement key at a local locksmith some months earlier.
“Precisely how you got in is a detail of no real consequence. What matters is you entered that lady’s house entirely uninvited. Quite why is far from clear, I accept you did not enter in order to kill her – you had no possible motive for doing so. I accept you did not enter to steal, but you did empty her purse after you had killed her – but that was just opportunistic.
“You had a history of going into other people’s properties uninvited in search of conversation and company. You had attempted to visit female relatives in the town earlier that evening and in my view, which was what brought you to Mrs Crown’s door. “You wanted someone to talk to, having a key to her door made that easier.
“Be that as it may, she must have been utterly terrified when you came into her house. I have absolutely no doubt she was not expecting you to walk into her home, and did not want you there. She heard a noise and got up from her chair as fast as she could, discarding her blanket from round her knees.
“She stood to confront you and told you to get out. It seems likely that she attempted at some point to use the phone to call for help, given that it was found hanging off the hook. What is clear to me is that there was a confrontation between her and you. How this ended is not a matter of guess work.
“You first struck her to the head causing bruising to her ear. I can’t say for sure you used her walking stick, you may have used your fist, but there was certainly some blunt force trauma.
“I accept you had not brought a knife with you, but faced with her anger and resistance, you picked up a long knife from her kitchen and attacked her with it. The postmortem established the knife used was at least 24cm or nine and a half inches in length. You used that knife to slit her throat. You stabbed her twice to the left side of her chest, causing fractures to her ribs and slicing through the muscles between them. On one occasion the blade travelled through both her lungs and heart, exiting her body on the other side of her chest.
“She tried to hold you off by putting up her hands to stop your attack on her, leaving her with characteristic defensive injuries.
“This was a ferocious and sustained knife attack on a defenceless old lady in her own home. You then attempted to cover up what you had done or to disguise evidence by setting fire to her body and home. You tried to give yourself an alibi by visiting the serviceman’s club.
“In addition to the injuries, her attempts to defend herself had one other significant consequence. In Una’s desperate struggle with a man who was stabbing her to death, she picked up on her fingernails some of his DNA.
“Some years later, when the investigation into what had become a cold case had re-opened, DNA testing had improved, and it was your DNA that was identified.
“The initial investigation had been mishandled. The scene was not sealed off and protected – and the force has quite rightly apologised for that incompetence. The investigation that followed the retesting of DNA has been of a completely different order and has resulted ultimately in your conviction.”
Judge Garnham said he could not conclude Newton was intoxicated but his intention at the time of the attack was to kill her. He said there were only two mitigating factors – Newton’s age now and his poor health.
Judge Garnham concluded the sentencing hearing by commending the police work in the case.
He said: “After a disastrous start, this was an impressive police and CPS investigation. I am told it necessitated analysing over 10,000 items of material for disclosure to the court – the largest ever general disclosure exercise conducted by this constabulary.
Det Sgt Simon Oldfield spoke outside the court on Friday.
He said: “Today David Newton has been sentenced to life in prison for the savage murder of a frail elderly widow 12 years ago.
“Finally, I want to thank the family of Mrs Crown for the dignified manner on which they conducted themselves in what must have been an entirely harrowing trial.”
Eight jurors returned to Cambridge Crown Court for the sentencing hearing on Friday 14 February.
Claire Matthews, of prosecution counsel, said the aggravating features for sentencing included the fact that Mrs Crown was particularly vulnerable due to her age, and the fact that she was petite in size.
She added that another aggravating feature was the mental and physical suffering that must have been inflicted prior to Mrs Crown’s death, with the evidence demonstrating that there must have been an interlude between Newton entering the house and the fatal assault taking place, during which she “must have been very frightened indeed”.
She said this was an act of trespass that “must have been long contemplated” by the defendant towards an “intensely private and elderly widowed lady, living alone”.
In mitigation, Henry Grunwald KC said Newton’s last appearance before any court was in 2014 and referenced his age and “very poor” ill health.
He added that Newton is a “very different man to who committed the offence”, adding that he now suffers from serious depression and many other health problems. He said Newton “may well end up dying in prison”, although he recognised personal circumstances did not play a large role in sentencing.
He said: “After a disastrous start, this was an impressive police and CPS investigation. I am told it necessitated analysing over 10,000 items of material for disclosure to the court – the largest ever general disclosure exercise conducted by this constabulary.
Det Sgt Dan Harper also spoke outside the court and read out a family statement.
He said: “Una’s family now ask for privacy, and we ask that this is respected.”
The statement reads: “Firstly, thank you to Mr Price KC, for representing the crown and our family.
“In 2013 we heard our Auntie Una had passed away. Two days later we heard it was murder and our world’s stopped. An elderly widow watching her favourite TV programme, feeling warm and safe in her own home. The attack was brutal, horrific and an assault on a defenceless frail elderly widow.
“The verdict in this case has prevented him causing further distress and misery to others. Since her untimely and savage death, three close family relatives, including her brother, have sadly passed away not knowing her killer has been brought to justice.
“We’d like to thank all who have helped get us to this point and we can now carry on with our lives knowing justice has been done.”
Claire Matthews, of prosecution counsel, said the aggravating features for sentencing included the fact that Mrs Crown was particularly vulnerable due to her age, and the fact that she was petite in size.
She added that another aggravating feature was the mental and physical suffering that must have been inflicted prior to Mrs Crown’s death, with the evidence demonstrating that there must have been an interlude between Newton entering the house and the fatal assault taking place, during which she “must have been very frightened indeed”.
She said this was an act of trespass that “must have been long contemplated” by the defendant towards an “intensely private and elderly widowed lady, living alone”.
In mitigation, Henry Grunwald KC said Newton’s last appearance before any court was in 2014 and referenced his age and “very poor” ill health.
He added that Newton is a “very different man to who committed the offence”, adding that he now suffers from serious depression and many other health problems. He said Newton “may well end up dying in prison”, although he recognised personal circumstances did not play a large role in sentencing.
Newton lived a stone’s throw away from the retired postmistress and claimed he only knew her “in passing” has today been found guilty of her murder.
David Newton’s conviction comes more than a decade after 86-year-old Una Crown’s death and after new forensic techniques revealed his DNA on Mrs Crown’s fingernails.
Police were called after family members and a neighbour discovered the widow’s body in her bungalow in Magazine Lane, Wisbech, on Sunday, 13 January 2013.
She had been seen alive two days previous and had spoken to a friend over the phone at about 5pm the day before her body was discovered.
The death was initially treated as unexplained but, after a post-mortem examination concluded Mrs Crown had died from stab wounds to her neck and chest, a murder investigation was launched.
Her clothing had also been set alight by Newton in a failed bid to disguise her injuries and destroy evidence, but the fire did not spread to the rest of the house.
Newton, of Magazine Close, Wisbech, was seen by a nearby resident drunkenly walking from the direction of Mrs Crown’s home at about 8.30pm that evening.
He was interviewed at the time but denied any involvement in her murder. He claimed he knew Mrs Crown to say hello to in passing and once fixed a back door lock for her in April or May 2012 – but had not seen her or been back in her bungalow since that day.
Newton, 70, was not charged until 2023, when new forensic testing revealed male DNA, found to be 28,000 more likely to have originated from Newton (or a close male relative from his paternal line) than any other person.
Investigations by police revealed it was not possible for Newton’s other close male relatives to have carried out the murder.
Jurors heard the DNA found on Mrs Crown’s fingernails would not have been there for longer than 48 hours and due to her general cleanliness, was likely deposited at the time of the murder.
When confronted with the new DNA evidence in interview in April last year, Newton answered no comment to all questions asked by police.
He did not give evidence during his trial, and no witnesses were called by defence counsel. Jurors at Cambridge Crown Court found him guilty of murder after deliberating for a total of 29 hours and 13 minutes. Jurors were excused from serving on another jury for 10 years.
Detective Superintendent Iain Moor, senior investigating officer, said: “Today we have finally secured justice for Una and her family, 12 years after her death.
“Mistakes were made during the initial investigation in 2013, for which we have apologised to Una’s family.
“Once again, we acknowledge those errors and apologise it has taken this long for Una’s family to get justice. However, my aim as the senior investigating officer when I took on this role in the past few years was to make sure they didn’t wait any longer.
“Vital evidence was retained from the 2013 crime scene which gave the crucial evidence breakthrough using a DNA testing technique not available in 2013.
“For more than a decade David Newton thought he had gotten away with this most horrendous crime, but today’s result shows you cannot hide forever.
“I would like to commend the 2013 team and current investigation team for their painstaking work. We have been supported by incredible experts, witnesses and specialists who have helped us discover who was responsible.”
Det Supt Moor said in total there were 10,580 items of material to sort through and disclose to the court – the largest ever general disclosure exercise for the force.
He added: “We had six people working full time for six months to go through this relevant material. Some single disclosure items were 100 pages long, highlighting the scale of this huge undertaking.
“In 2013 an 86-year-old widow was robbed of her life. Nothing can take the pain of this heart-breaking case away, but I hope today’s verdict gives Una’s family the closure they deserve and the answers for which they have longed. My thoughts are very much with them at this time.
“Finally, this case demonstrates the police commitment to continually reviewing unsolved cases and seeking new lines of enquiry. No unsolved murder case is ever closed.”
Retired Detective Inspector David Grierson, who took on the case as SIO in 2013 before retiring a year later, said Newton had continually lied about his movements over the weekend of the murder and his knowledge of Mrs Crown and her house.
He said: “We all appreciated but did not dwell on the lost opportunities caused by the initial response to Una’s death.
“From leaving the force until 2023, I have kept a close eye on the case and am very pleased with the verdict today.
“I’m immensely proud of the initial investigation, the professionalism shown by the investigation team under challenging circumstances and grateful to the new team led by Det Supt Moor who finalised the case.
“I am especially pleased for Una Crown’s family who have had to wait a long time for this day. Despite the initial failings, her family have remained supportive of the investigation.”
In a family statement released at the conclusion of the trial Julia Green, Una Crown’s niece, said: “Firstly, thank you to Mr Price KC, for representing the crown and our family.
“In 2013 we heard our Auntie Una had passed away. Two days later we heard it was murder and our world’s stopped. An elderly widow watching her favourite TV programme, feeling warm and safe in her own home. The attack was brutal, horrific and an assault on a defenceless frail elderly widow.
“The verdict today has prevented him causing further distress and misery to others. Since her untimely and savage death, three close family relatives, including her brother, have sadly passed away not knowing her killer has been brought to justice.
“We’d like to thank all who have helped get us to this point today and we can now carry on with our lives knowing justice has been done.”
