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| Praying murderer jailed for life | |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| A man overheard praying for forgiveness after murdering his pregnant girlfriend's mother has been jailed for life by a judge at the Old Bailey. | A man overheard praying for forgiveness after murdering his pregnant girlfriend's mother has been jailed for life by a judge at the Old Bailey. |
| George Maben, 45, from Rosehill, Surrey, strangled 65-year-old widow Maureen Cosgrove at her home in Carshalton, south London, in March. | George Maben, 45, from Rosehill, Surrey, strangled 65-year-old widow Maureen Cosgrove at her home in Carshalton, south London, in March. |
| Maben was arrested after police bugged his car and heard him say: "God, forgive me for what I have done." | Maben was arrested after police bugged his car and heard him say: "God, forgive me for what I have done." |
| He must serve a minimum of 13 years in jail after being found guilty. | He must serve a minimum of 13 years in jail after being found guilty. |
| The court heard Maben previously argued with Mrs Cosgrove, whose daughter Lucy Rees, 34, had been expecting Maben's baby at the time of the killing. | The court heard Maben previously argued with Mrs Cosgrove, whose daughter Lucy Rees, 34, had been expecting Maben's baby at the time of the killing. |
| Covert device | Covert device |
| Mrs Cosgrove was asphyxiated with a ligature in her kitchen after arriving home from the dentist on 24 March. | Mrs Cosgrove was asphyxiated with a ligature in her kitchen after arriving home from the dentist on 24 March. |
| Earlier that day, Maben was filmed on CCTV taking a bus from his mother's home to Mrs Cosgrove's home and putting on gloves during the journey, the court heard. | Earlier that day, Maben was filmed on CCTV taking a bus from his mother's home to Mrs Cosgrove's home and putting on gloves during the journey, the court heard. |
| Fibres from Mrs Cosgrove's clothing were found on clothes Maben had been wearing. | Fibres from Mrs Cosgrove's clothing were found on clothes Maben had been wearing. |
| Police subsequently placed a covert listening device in a Ford Focus used by Maben and, on 9 April, he was recorded praying out loud. | Police subsequently placed a covert listening device in a Ford Focus used by Maben and, on 9 April, he was recorded praying out loud. |
| Maben argued with Mrs Cosgrove, her daughter told the court | |
| In the recording, Maben said: "Please God, help me... for me and Lucy eliminated from all police inquiries and everything's all right, please God help me. | In the recording, Maben said: "Please God, help me... for me and Lucy eliminated from all police inquiries and everything's all right, please God help me. |
| "I just could not take it any more. Every single day, she was breaking me down. Please God will you forgive me? Please God, sorry." | "I just could not take it any more. Every single day, she was breaking me down. Please God will you forgive me? Please God, sorry." |
| Prosecuting, Anthony Glass QC said Mr Maben's words "could and should be interpreted as a confession to murder". | Prosecuting, Anthony Glass QC said Mr Maben's words "could and should be interpreted as a confession to murder". |
| Lucy Rees told the court her mother and Maben had argued but "got on OK". | Lucy Rees told the court her mother and Maben had argued but "got on OK". |
| Asked about Maben's prayer, Lucy Rees told the court: "He said to me he had prayed to God for forgiveness because he had taken £50 from his mother's handbag. | Asked about Maben's prayer, Lucy Rees told the court: "He said to me he had prayed to God for forgiveness because he had taken £50 from his mother's handbag. |
| "He said he had never stolen anything from her handbag before but he was low because he was out of work and didn't have any money." | "He said he had never stolen anything from her handbag before but he was low because he was out of work and didn't have any money." |
| We have lost a loving mother and grandmother in a particularly horrific way John Cosgrove, Mrs Cosgrove's son | We have lost a loving mother and grandmother in a particularly horrific way John Cosgrove, Mrs Cosgrove's son |
| Judge Jeremy Roberts said he was reducing the term which might have been expected from a pre-meditated murder because it was out of character and because Maben had been under pressure. | Judge Jeremy Roberts said he was reducing the term which might have been expected from a pre-meditated murder because it was out of character and because Maben had been under pressure. |
| Nevertheless, the judge did not want anything he said to be interpreted as criticism of Mrs Cosgrove, who was the innocent victim of the crime. | Nevertheless, the judge did not want anything he said to be interpreted as criticism of Mrs Cosgrove, who was the innocent victim of the crime. |
| He added: "It was no-one's fault that the situation developed where your relationship with Lucy, whom you loved deeply, and her mother, whom you must have seen as a obstacle, drove you to such an act of desperation." | He added: "It was no-one's fault that the situation developed where your relationship with Lucy, whom you loved deeply, and her mother, whom you must have seen as a obstacle, drove you to such an act of desperation." |
| In a statement to the judge, Mrs Cosgrove's son John said: "We have lost a loving mother and grandmother in a particularly horrific way." | In a statement to the judge, Mrs Cosgrove's son John said: "We have lost a loving mother and grandmother in a particularly horrific way." |