David Hill, 48, of Lakeside Meadow, Pontefract, was caged at Leeds Crown Court yesterday after a jury unanimously convicted him of killing grandma-of-five Molly Wright by bludgeoning her repeatedly over the head at her home in Redhill Gardens.


Sentencing Hill to a minimum of 14 years in prison, Mr Justice Simon said: "The killing of this elderly woman living alone in these circumstances caused widespread shock, but the fact that it was you, her son-in-law, who killed her makes it very much worse for her and your family."
During a five-week trial, the jury heard evidence that Hill – who has been married to Mrs Wright's youngest daughter Maxine for 20 years – had more than £20,000 of debt and was siphoning money from a joint business account he shared with the 73-year-old for their stall at Castleford indoor market.


Hill denied killing Mrs Wright and said he discovered her in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor when he visited her home to drop off the stall's takings.
But the prosecution claimed he brutally attacked Mrs Wright and fled the scene, returning later to feign shock at her death.
The prosecution claimed he was altering and photocopying bank statements to conceal his drawings from her and lost his temper during a confrontation at her home on Wednesday September 27 2006.



The judge said: "There was evidence from a pathologist that she had been struck 15 substantial blows. The distribution of blood in the living room and kitchen, and the defensive injuries to her hand indicated that the attack took place over a number of minutes and was pitiless.
He added: "How you came to commit this crime is not easy to determine. You are part of a close and loving family.
"There was evidence that you are normally a mild-mannered man who usually got on well with Molly Wright.
"But there is also evidence that she could be difficult and also evidence of her deteriorating mental condition which you sought to exploit in your evidence."


The court heard Mrs Wright had suffered from chronic paranoid schizophrenia and had accused Hill of having affairs.
The judge added: "It appears that she became suspicious, wrongly, about your relationship with your wife, but it was clear you were taking money from the business you shared with her at Castleford market.
"It is very likely she discovered this and objected strongly to it."


Hill told the court he and his wife had been expecting a "windfall" inheritance from the estate of his late father-in-law John Wright worth more than £135,000.
Hugh Heron, a financial advisor to Mr and Mrs Wright, said their joint estate was worth in the region of £2 million.
The judge added: "There was also compelling evidence that in order to conceal your drawings and the affect it had on the joint account that you forged bank statements and presented false versions to her.


"It's likely that she discovered this and threatened you in some way. Whatever the manner of these threats, whether they were threats in relation to the inheritance from John Wright's estate which you were depending on to satisfy your credit card debts or threats to your good name or domestic happiness, something caused you to suddenly lose your self control and beat her to death."
He said there was evidence he was not a violent man and added: "This is a crime your family may well find hard to believe you committed.


"But there was strong evidence you lied about your movements that afternoon and your plans were to conceal your part in her death."
The judge commended Det Supt Colin Prime, who lead the investigation, and his team of officers.


Speaking after the trial, Det Supt Prime said: "This was a brutal attack on Molly Wright within her own home. She was beaten to death by her son-in-law David Hill. This is a tragedy for the family, both in terms of the loss of Molly and also seeing David Hill convicted of her murder."