Cuffley Man who tried to kill for inheritance sentenced

Andrew Oliver would drag the his relative back every time she tried to escape

A man who tried to kill a relative for her inheritance money has been jailed for 23 years.

Andrew Oliver, 56, from Cuffley, Hertfordshire, attacked the woman, in her 70s, over a nine-hour period on 20 January, St Albans Crown Court heard.

His victim was left on the ground outside her home in sub-zero temperatures while Oliver came and went from her home.

The police said he "showed unimaginable depravity towards his victim".

During the assault, the victim, in her 70s, offered Oliver money to stop, but he refused, demanding her inheritance.

The court was told Oliver attacked the woman as she was leaving her home and hit her head against the concrete ground.

She was left outside in the cold whilst he went into her property, periodically returning to continue assaulting her, police said.

She eventually managed to reach a neighbour's house at about five in the morning, and Oliver was later arrested.

The court was told that Oliver was in huge debt and knew he had been named in his victim's will.

He denied attempted murder charge but the jury found him guilty on Monday.

Det Insp Bianca Broadbent, from the Welwyn Hatfield Local Crime Unit, said Oliver "showed unimaginable depravity towards his victim".

"The temperature on that night was below zero degrees Celsius and she truly believed that she was going to die," she said.

"She even tried leaving a scratch mark on Oliver so that if she died, her killer would be caught."