Burglars 'kicked woman to death'

Kam Fum Chung was kicked and stamped in the face and chest

A woman was beaten to death in her home when she refused to tell armed men where her money was, a jury has heard.

Restaurant owner Kam Chung, 65, was killed "with a savagery hard to imagine" in West Drayton, west London, the Old Bailey heard.

Brothers Dean Atkins, 26, and Michael Atkins, 25, both of Uxbridge, west London, deny murder in November 2006.

Another man, Thomas Carty, 21, who was with the pair, took his own life last February while awaiting trial.

Multiple injuries

A post-mortem test found that Ms Chung, who was only 4ft 10ins tall, died of multiple injuries from stamps and kicks to the face and chest.

The jury heard that after attacking the woman, all three broke into the home of 49-year-old self-made businessman Bernard Dwyer and threatened to kill his 13-year-old daughter.

They intended and expected to take a lot of money and they were prepared to do whatever was necessary Simon Denison, prosecuting

The jury heard he grasped a gun while he was being beaten by one of the masked men.

But Mr Dwyer, of west Drayton, fought back and chased them from his home.

The burglars carefully planned what they were doing and chose their victims believing they would find a lot of money at their homes, the court heard.

Jurors also heard how they were armed with an air pistol, a knuckle-duster, a knife and crowbar.

Simon Denison, prosecuting, said: "They intended and expected to take a lot of money and they were prepared to do whatever was necessary and use any level of violence necessary to get the cash that they were after."

The Atkins brothers also deny two counts of aggravated burglary, wounding with intent and possession of an imitation handgun.