Tragic final moments of grandmother, before being beaten to death

Tragic final moments of drunken grandmother entering property she wrongly believed was her B&B before being dragged into the street and beaten to death by 21-stone homeowner – as he is jailed for 14 years

• CCTV footage captured the last moments before Margaret Barnes was killed
• David Redfern was sentenced today at Caernarfon Crown Court for her murder

The tragic moment a 71-year-old woman entered a property she wrongly believed to be a B&B before she was dragged into the street and beaten to death has been revealed – as her attacker is jailed for 41 years.    

Grandmother Margaret Barnes had been visiting Barmouth in Wales from her home in Birmingham when she mistook her accommodation for the home of David Redfern, a few doors away, Caernarfon Crown Court heard.

After Redfern, 46, and his partner discovered her when they went up to bed, a row broke out and Mrs Barnes, who had been drinking, was dragged by her heels down the stairs and flung out of the house.

Redfern also kicked or stamped on the frail pensioner, breaking three of her ribs and causing a catastrophic and unsurvivable injury to her liver.

The ‘much-loved’ wife, mother and grandmother died on the pavement outside, the court heard.

The last moments before Margaret Barnes, 71, was murdered by David Redfern, 46, have been revealed, showing the grandmother hauling her small suitcase up the drive as she places her black handbag on a table outside of the door

David Redfern, 46, (left) dragged 71-year-old Margaret Barnes downstairs by her feet after he found her asleep in a bed at his seafront home in Barmouth, North Wales, on July 11 last year He called Mrs Barnes (right) a ‘thieving c***’ before pulling her by her ankles out of his bed and down the stairs, ‘stamped’ on her and threw her suitcase on to the street

Ms Barnes ended up mistakenly entering Belmont House, Redfern’s seaside property in Barmouth  

But the 71-year-old had booked to stay in the Wavecrest B&B on Marine Parade – a few doors down from Redfern’s property

Redfern denied murdering Mrs Barnes on July 11 last year but was convicted by a jury earlier this week.

Handing him a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 14 years before parole, Mr Justice Charles Bourne told the defendant: ‘I accept you must have been very shocked to find a stranger in your house, your bedroom.

‘But your reaction surpasses anything that any reasonable person could imagine.

‘You are a large and strong man, aged 45 at the time.

‘She was small and slight, at least 25 years older than you, clearly affected by alcohol and unsteady on her feet.

‘I can understand why you might have escorted her out of your house, though a different person might have responded to this situation by trying to help her.

‘But the assault, a kick or stamp of sufficient force to cause a fatal injury, was a dreadful thing to do, to a defenceless elderly person.’

Earlier, the court heard that arrangements had been made with a local B&B for Mrs Barnes to stay in Barmouth and she had been out drinking with friends and was unsteady on her feet.

She mistook her accommodation for Redfern’s home and went inside and got in bed at around 10.10pm on July 10 last year.

When Redfern and his partner went upstairs to bed, around 40 minutes later, Redfern at first calmly called police and asked officers to come and remove her.

But things then went ‘terribly wrong’ after a row broke out, the court heard.

Redfern, a 6ft 1in man who weighed 21 stone, dragged the unwanted visitor downstairs by her heels and flung her suitcase into the street.

He also kicked or stamped on Mrs Barnes, causing the fatal injury.

Redfern told the jury he had found Mrs Barnes sitting up in their bed drinking gin and tonic with her false teeth on the bedside table.

Prior to the incident, Redfern had drunk six or seven pints and a gin and tonic during a night out with his partner

David Redfern (pictured) was furious when he saw Margaret Barnes, 71, had undressed, unpacked and climbed into a bed at his house in Barmouth, North Wales, a court heard 

Redfern’s ‘appalling’ comments were also caught on a Hive camera recording at his front door, where he said: ‘There’s nothing nothing wrong with her and all she is is p***ed.’ He called Mrs Barnes a ‘scumbag’ 

Mrs Barnes had been booked into the Wavecrest B’n’B (pictured) which was several doors down on Marine Parade

Outside court, Detective Superintendent Mark Pierce of North Wales Police said: ‘During a two-week trial Redfern showed no remorse, attempted to blame Margaret for his actions and subjected her family to the trauma of a two-week trial where details of the event were explored in graphic detail.

‘David Redfern is a cowardly, vicious bully and will now spend at least 14 years behind bars where he can reflect on what he has done.’

Mrs Barnes’ family added: ‘As a family it has been the hardest time of our lives.

‘It has been especially difficult for Margaret’s husband who had been her partner for 56 years.

‘We now have some sort of closure on what has happened however no length of sentence will ever fill the void that Margaret has left behind.’

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