Smother attack woman found guilty

A woman has been found guilty of attempted murder after encouraging her partner to smother his elderly mother to get a share of his inheritance.

Leeds Crown Court heard Marrion Herrington, 42, watched as partner Barry Armstrong-Smith, 47, tried to smother Anne Smith at her home in York.

He admitted attempting kill the 82-year-old at an earlier hearing.

The court was told the couple wanted to inherit Mr Armstrong-Smith's share of the house.

The court heard Mrs Herrington stood in the bedroom doorway as her partner tried to smother his sick mother with two pillows, a duvet and the bed sheets.

Barricaded in room

Mrs Smith had changed her will shortly before the attack to leave her two sons, Barry Armstrong-Smith and his brother, Glen, half of the house between them, worth about £40,000 each.

The court heard that, on the night of 29 February, Mrs Smith was woken by a light coming on in her room before she felt a weight on top of her and the sheet and duvet were pulled over her head.

She told police she saw Herrington standing in the doorway in a blue dressing gown and slippers, but she never saw her son, who did not continue with the attack.

This was a calculated and callous attack on an elderly woman as she lay asleep in bed Det Insp Guy Wilson

Paramedics came to the house after Armstrong-Smith made a 999 call and the court heard the grandmother-of-three was found barricaded in her room saying: "They've tried to kill me."

Herrington told the court she had no idea Armstrong-Smith was going to try to kill his mother and said there had been no discussion about wanting to murder or harm her.

She claimed she was in the bath at the time at the time of the attack.

The couple will be sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on 24 September.

Speaking after the verdict, Det Insp Guy Wilson said: "This was a calculated and callous attack on an elderly woman as she lay asleep in her bed.

"The victim, Mrs Anne Smith, had offered her son Barry Armstrong-Smith and his girlfriend Marrion Herrington her home to treat as their own.

"The spirit and resilience shown by Mrs Smith throughout the course of this investigation has been immense. Since the offence was committed she has rebuilt her life."