Latest news with #PaulTopham
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Drug addict murdered Harold Monk, 94, in his Wolverhampton flat
A drug addict who repeatedly beat a 94-year-old man as he burgled his home has been convicted of his Topham is thought to have obtained a key fob and flat key belonging to his victim, Harold Monk, during a visit to Topham's mother at the same sheltered housing scheme in Wolverhampton, jurors got into the flat last October as Mr Monk slept until he woke and confronted the 45-year-old. He was then attacked and suffered fractures to his face, skull, spine and ribs and died in hospital a day later, West Midlands Police denied murder at Wolverhampton Crown Court but was convicted on Wednesday. He will be sentenced on 29 August. The court was shown video footage of Mr Monk talking to police through an oxygen mask with severe bruises to his arms and face after being attacked on 3 told detectives he awoke in the early hours to see a male figure wearing black clothes and a face covering."He must have jumped on top of me because I could feel his weight on my body and then he started [punching] my face," Mr Monk said in the video.A neighbour heard banging and groaning and alerted the trial, jurors were told Topham, of Palmerston Road in Birmingham, had struggled with "out-of-control drug addiction" and had been known to commit burglaries to feed his evidence, he said he was "off his face" during the incident, but was repulsed by his actions and the hurt he had caused Mr Monk's family but insisted he was not a murderer. The court heard Topham stayed the night at his mother's property the weekend before the incident, which is when the prosecution claimed he managed to get access to Mr Monk's flat in Inglewood mother Janet Reznik said she only found out he had been arrested when the police knocked on her tribute to Mr Monk, his daughter Patricia said he was "a wonderful human being who was loved dearly by his family and we think about him with sadness every day"."We miss his quirky sense of humour and his huge presence. We miss witnessing the fulfilment he found in everyday life, even at 94 years old, and he loved to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow."Det Insp Phil Poole said he hoped the conviction would ease some of the pain and sadness the family had endured."Mr Monk had every right to be safe in his own home and this was cruelly shattered by an appalling attack which stole a beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather from his loving family." Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
18-07-2025
- BBC News
Addict Paul Topham "ashamed" of killing pensioner but denies murder
A drug addict accused of murdering a 94-year-old man during a burglary has told jurors he is "ashamed" of his Topham, 45, has admitted manslaughter but denies deliberately killing pensioner Harold Monk at his Wolverhampton flat on October 3 last evidence in his trial at the city's crown court on Friday, the defendant, of Palmerson Road in Birmingham, said he was "off his face" during the early-hours told the court he was repulsed by the devastation he had caused Mr Monk's family but insisted he was not a murderer. When questioned by his defence barrister Gurdeep Garcha KC, Mr Topham explained he had started taking hard drugs, like crack cocaine and heroin, aged about were told there were long periods in which he had been clean and not offended, including when he worked as a stonemason and fathered his two Mr Topham agreed he had a 30-year criminal history, mostly for burglary-related offences, where he had "fed his addiction by being dishonest and stealing things"."Unfortunately when you are gripped in the throes of addiction, your conscience goes pretty low to the ground," he said."You just don't give it a second thought." However, the defendant explained he had always taken responsibility and pleaded guilty when faced with charges, adding he had never been convicted of violent asked why he had pleaded guilty to Mr Monk's manslaughter, Mr Topham said: "I believe I'm responsible for the unlawful killing of him."Asked how it made him feel, he said he was "disgusted, ashamed and repulsed by the devastation I've caused his poor family".Yesterday, the trial saw footage of Mr Monk talking to detectives from his hospital bed, 10 hours before he died from his injuries at New Cross footage shown to jurors, Mr Monk was seen communicating through an oxygen mask with severe bruises to his arms and Mr Topham replied "absolutely not" when asked if he intended to murder Mr Monk. The defendant claimed he was "off his face", having been smoking "Black Mamba" and drinking super-strength beer or cider all day. 'Drugged up' Mr Topham told jurors he had "deliberately planned" the burglary, having taken the keys to Mr Monk's flat during an earlier visit to his mother, who also lived in the Inglewood Court sheltered housing block in added he did not know who lived in the property, and he wanted to burgle it to obtain money for drugs. The defendant explained he was of sound enough mind to wait until the early hours, when the occupant was likely to be asleep, but said he was so "intoxicated and drugged up" he forgot to put on the gloves he had taken to cover his showed Mr Topham at Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton train stations in a "drowsy" state, dropping his head and appearing unsteady on his court previously heard he was involved in an early-hours rooftop standoff with police shortly after the incident. He replied no comment in police prosecution does not accept the manslaughter plea and wants Mr Topham to be tried for murder because they argue that he intended to cause his victim really serious injury or defendant will return to the witness box on Monday. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
17-07-2025
- BBC News
Wolverhampton murder trial shown hospital footage of victim, 94
A murder trial has seen footage of a 94-year-old attack victim talking to detectives from his hospital bed, 10 hours before dying from Topham denies killing pensioner Harold Monk during an attempted burglary on his Wolverhampton flat on 3 October last Crown Court heard the 45-year-old, of Palmerston Road in Birmingham, was involved in an early hours rooftop stand-off with police shortly footage shown to jurors, Mr Monk was seen communicating through an oxygen mask with severe bruises to his arms and face. The incident happened at Inglewood Court in the Bradmore area, a sheltered housing scheme for residents over Monk, who was known to friends as Harry, told detectives he awoke in the early hours to see a male figure wearing black clothes and a face covering. His words were difficult to make out in the video shown to jurors, but he could be heard saying he asked the man what he was doing in the property before being pushed over."He must have jumped on top of me because I could feel his weight on my body and then he started [punching] my face," Mr Monk said in the video. On Thursday, the court heard the 999 call and witness interview of David Belcher, a neighbour of Mr Monk. Mr Belcher said he heard banging and groaning before going to investigate and encountering Mr Monk's attacker."The man was on top of [Mr Monk] and there was a struggle going on," Mr Belcher told the call operator."The masked man told me 'F off' which I promptly did because I was scared." 'Out of control' addiction The prosecution said the defendant came into possession of Mr Monk's key fob and flat key, potentially during a visit to his mother Janet Reznik, who also lived in Inglewood Reznik gave evidence on Thursday, speaking from behind a curtain for her own said Mr Topham had stayed the night at her property the weekend before the incident, something he occasionally did. While her son had previously worked as a stonemason, Ms Reznik agreed he had struggled with an "out of control drug addiction" and had been known to commit burglaries to feed his habit. Ms Reznik explained there had been a family argument the evening before Mr Monk's death, with her son said to be "angry" about questions over his friendship group. The mother told the court she had "no idea" her son had returned to the sheltered accommodation complex hours later. She said Mr Topham and Mr Monk did not know each other, and she only found out her son had been arrested when the police knocked on her trial continues. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
