Former CPS worker Thomas Blazquez, from South Woodford, killed OAP ‘over £30 debt’
Rosemary Shearman - Credit: Archant
An Old Bailey caseworker accused of murdering an elderly widow told a psychiatrist he killed her because she owed him £30, a court heard.
Thomas Blazquez, 51, of Onslow Gardens, South Woodford, a former CPS clerk, beat and choked Mrs Shearman to death as she waited for a taxi to take her for a cruise.
He spent six months “fantasising” about inflicting violence after claiming she twice refused to pay him back £30 he lent.
A postmortem found Mrs Shearman died from “multiple chest wall fractures” and from “mechanical obstruction of the upper airways”.
Dr Carlo Longhitano, a forensic psychiatrist, said Blazquez told him how he wanted to “teach her a lesson” over the debt.
“He met her at the supermarket by chance and she was trying to find change so he volunteered to give her some money and she took about £30 - that was at least a year before the murder.
“Following that, he only met her another couple of times and when he mentioned it to her, she shrugged him off.
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“He started fantasising about violence. He spent at least six months pretty much everyday thinking of these fantasies.
“He heard someone talking about Rosemary and became interested in where she lived.
“On the day of the murder he had a bag of stuff with him, including a lot of stuff he did end up using - rope, duct tape, a knife.”
Jurors heard he was suffering from severe depression and gambling addiction when he confronted Mrs Shearman on September 7.
The court heard he showed his CPS badge to Mrs Shearman so he would be allowed inside.
He then repeatedly struck her because of her “talking and talking”, jurors heard.
Blazquez admits manslaughter but denies her murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
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