Woman cleared of burgling widow

Margaret Berry had denied any involvement in the burglary

A woman has been cleared of burglary, at the home of a Flintshire pensioner, a month before she was murdered.

Margaret Berry, 25, had always denied stealing £1,000, from the home of Elsie Hughes, from Abermorddu, near Wrexham.

No-one has been charged with the murder of the 90-year-old retired dinner lady in September 2005.

Miss Berry, from Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, was formally cleared of the charge at the start of a trial at Mold Crown Court on Monday.

It had been alleged that she had entered Mrs Hughes' home with two other unknown people on 15 August 2005 and stole £1,000 in cash.

But prosecutor Karl Scholz offered no evidence at the start of the case, saying there had been problems in relation to "two crucial witnesses".

No-one has been charged with Elsie Hughes' murder

Miss Berry was discharged from the dock, and an order was made that her costs should be met from central funds.

As she left court Miss Berry said she was delighted at the decision, but angry that she had been charged in the first place.

Mrs Hughes, who was known locally as Auntie Elsie, was found with severe injuries of the floor of her home in Abermorddu on 8 September 2005, and died the following day in hospital.

North Wales Police are still hunting her murderer and in September detectives raised a reward on offer for information leading to her killer from £30,000 to £100,000.