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Moment burglar smashes into nan's home before stomping her to death – as helpless daughter heard attack on doorbell cam

Moment burglar smashes into nan's home before stomping her to death – as helpless daughter heard attack on doorbell cam

The Sun16-05-2025

THIS is the horrifying moment a burglar smashed his way into a gran's home before stomping her to death in a brutal murder.
Catherine "Queenie" Flynn, 69, was dragged from her bed by Dean Mears, who broke every bone in her face.
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Her daughter Natasha Flynn-Farrell was forced to listen to her mum's final moments after the attack was caught on doorbell cam.
Footage showed Mears ringing the bell at the home in Rhyl, North Wales, after he took cannabis and ketamine.
The 34-year-old was then captured smashing a downstairs window to gain access to the house to burgle it.
Once inside, Mears stomped on 4ft 10ins Catherine 15 times in a "senseless" attack.
Tragically, the doorbell footage triggered a message on Natasha's phone - meaning she was forced to helplessly listen to her mum's killing.
Brave Natasha kept the app open in order to record the video, which was the key evidence in the harrowing case.
As a result, she told how she just "had to watch it play out' as her mum desperately begged "please don't".
Mears could also be heard yelling "where are the keys?" as Catherine pleaded with him not to hurt her.
The sickening sound of 15 thuds was also captured as the killer attacked Catherine.
Natasha said: "It was horrendous, it was sickening.'
Mears was then captured just two minutes later throwing himself through the broken window and fleeing.
Frail Catherine, who used a Zimmer frame, suffered catastrophic injuries before dying the next day in hospital.
Mears, who admitted manslaughter, has now been found guilty of murder following a trial.
Caernarfon Crown Court heard after the horror last October, Mears returned to his pal's home and stripped off his trousers and underwear.
He was then seen on CCTV walking semi-naked around the town.
Mears admitted he had carried out the attack but claimed he had no recollection.
Prosecutor Andrew Jones left Catherine "dying on the floor of her own bedroom".
A post-mortem likened the injuries Catherine suffered to those seen in car crashes.
A pathologist said the wounds were caused by "repeated, severe blunt force trauma that shattered all her facial bones".
He added: "He inflicted such severe damage to the face of Mrs Flynn that she had no chance of surviving this vicious, unprovoked assault."
Catherine's family described the gran as a "rock" and best friend to her three children and said "her house was so welcoming and warm".
They said: "Catherine was a wonderful mum, nan, great nan, auntie, and sister, and also a second mother to many and a great friend.
"She loved her family more than anything, she was a fantastic cook and was always wanting to feed anyone in her company.
"Her pride and joy (after her family) was her love for her garden, she would sit for hours just watching the birds and the bees come in and out of her little wonderland, with every flower imaginable.
"We often wondered how her garden was always so beautiful - now we know, it's because she was the ray of sunshine."
Mears was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing in June.
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