Hilda Still

Hilda Still died of a stroke after she was burgled at her flat in Doris Emerton Court, Wynter Street, Battersea.

Her inquest stated that she had died from a stroke caused by fright following a robbery.

After the robbery on 4 June 2002 she went to a neighbour's house to tell them and then collapsed. She was taken to hospital where she died ten days later on 14 June 2002.

When she had gone to her neighbours she was said to have been very panicky with her hands and body shaking and had been breathing heavily and gasping for breath. When the neighbour saw her Hilda Still said, 'They've robbed me, he robbed me', and she then collapsed on a sofa.

Police found that £80, a gold necklace, rings and a pension book were all missing from her home. However, there was no sign of a break-in.

She had lived in Doris Emerton Court in Wynter Street, Battersea which was sheltered housing run by Wandsworth Borough Council. She had moved in a month earlier.

Earlier in the day she had been to her local pub, The Anchor public house, where she had had four bottles of Guinness.

The police said that they thought that she had either been followed into her flat or had been attacked in the street. They examined CCTV footage but were unable to identify any suspects.

Her inquest heard that she had been a paranoid schizophrenic and that she was obsessed with the idea that people were trying to burgle her. It was also noted that in the previous ten years she had been the victim of three violent muggings.

Her inquest concluded that she had been unlawfully killed.