Killers of Arthur Gumbley and Josephine Kaye convicted

Arthur Gumbley died in hospital after he was attacked in November 2017

A pair of burglar brothers have been found guilty of murdering a pensioner they attacked during a break-in.

Arthur Gumbley, 87, was hurt by Amos Wilsher and his younger brother Jason Wilsher, and later died in hospital.

Amos Wilsher was also convicted of murdering Josephine Kaye, 88, having injured her in a separate break-in.

Both were additionally found guilty of wounding pensioner Dennis Taylor. They are to be sentenced at a later date.

A four-week trial heard the most recent attack came in Stoke-on-Trent last year, when Amos Wilsher, 29, posed as a gas worker to remove a padlock from a gate before injuring Mrs Kaye and stealing her safe containing £20,000.

She died in hospital in March 2020, three weeks after suffering a broken leg when Wilsher repeatedly threw her to the floor at her home on Harington Drive in Park Hall.

Josephine Kaye was thrown to the floor at her home in Stoke-on-Trent

The trial at Coventry Crown Court heard Amos Wilsher, from Tibshelf, Derbyshire, was linked to Mrs Kaye's murder by DNA evidence found on a screwdriver, a hat, a security light, and soap tin, plus a fingerprint on the side of a car.

Both Wilsher and his 22-year-old brother, also from Tibshelf, were found guilty of murdering Mr Gumbley who died three weeks after suffering broken ribs during an attack at his bungalow in Little Aston, Staffordshire, in November 2017.

Jason Wilsher, originally found guilty of Mr Gumbley's murder in 2019, had been granted a re-trial despite DNA evidence linking him to the scene.

Amos and Jason Wilsher were found guilty following a trial at Coventry Crown Court

Both brothers were also found guilty of conspiracy to rob and wounding with intent in relation to a third victim, Dennis Taylor, who was attacked in 2017 at his home in Creswell, near Bolsover, Derbyshire.

Mr Taylor, 82, suffered a broken nose and broken fingers when he was attacked, losing cash, watches and jewellery during the ordeal.

Det Ch Insp Dan Ison, from Staffordshire Police, said: "No sentence will bring back the lives of Arthur and Josephine but I hope the convictions will provide closure knowing that justice has now been served."