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Youth confessed he helped mug Lily, 87
A YOUTH arrested after a mugging in which a pensioner was knocked to the ground and later died confessed his part in the attack, an inquest heard.
The Crown Prosecution Service has decided not to press charges against the boy – who was 14 at the time of the attack on 87-year-old Lily Finlay in a dark alleyway in Sharrow – because it said there was insufficient evidence.
Witness Nichola Gledhill told the inquest she had overheard the youth, now aged 16, being confronted by the mother of a younger boy allegedly involved in the robbery, whom she knew.
Ms Gledhill said: "She started shouting at him, saying 'why do you always get my kids into trouble?'. He turned round and said 'I'm not – I hold my hands up, it was me who took the bag off that old woman, it wasn't him.'
"I was quite shocked that he'd said it like that – like it was nowt."
The inquest also heard from a teacher at the same boy's school.
He said: "I heard him speak to another boy along the lines of 'I'm going to get done for manslaughter'."
The youngest member of the gang arrested – who was 11 at the time of the incident in October 2006 but is now 13 – claimed he and his younger brother saw the older boy and a girl attack Lily, who was walking to a pub with a friend.
He said: "They ran towards the ladies and knocked them over and got the handbag. I was scared and ran away."
The inquest into Lily's death was resumed after it was halted last year when the girl, now aged 15, admitted on oath being with the gang which planned the mugging.
The case was adjourned so the CPS could look again at whether to press charges.
The girl claimed Lily was attacked by the older boy and his brother, now 15.
The older boy refused to answer questions put by Deputy Coroner Judith Naylor about the incident. His brother claimed he was at home watching television.
DC Simon Pocklington, of South Yorkshire Police, said the 16-, 15- and 13-year-old boys and the girl were arrested and questioned.
But he said: "The CPS decided there wasn't enough evidence to bring the matter to court. We decided that was the end of the matter."
He said Lily's stolen handbag was recovered, minus its contents – 80 cash, photographs, glasses and keys.
The pensioner, who lived on the Leverton estate, Sharrow, was with Jean Senior, 74, when she was robbed in Club Garden Road, Sharrow, suffering a broken hip and cut to the head.
Jean sat in the public gallery at the inquest along with Lily's relatives, including her son.
The inquest heard that before the robbery, Lily had been "in very good health for her age" – although she had suffered from arthritis and had had a hip replacement.
But she was immobile during her stay in hospital and her immune system weakened by an operation on her hip, which led to her developing pneumonia and dying after 10 weeks.
The inquest is due to conclude today after hearing final medical evidence.
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
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Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
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