A handyman accused of murdering a vulnerable elderly woman during a burglary has turned up at the Old Bailey.
Hugo Da Silva Pires, 28, reportedly assaulted 76-year-old Nelly Akomah at her home late on June 20 and made off with her phone, purse, electronics and Bible.
Ms Akomah was found dead the next day at the property on Ladbrook Road in Croydon, south London.
An initial autopsy revealed that she had suffered a fractured larynx and two broken ribs.
The injuries were said to be consistent with strangulation, although tests continue to confirm how she died.
It is alleged that Ms Akomah’s bank cards were used to purchase groceries and watches after her death.
On June 23, Pires and his partner Catia Feliciano, 31, from Thornton Heath, south London, were arrested at Stansted Airport allegedly trying to leave the country.
Pires was charged with murder, burglary and fraud against Ms Akomah and Feliciano was charged with fraud and perverting the law.
On Wednesday, Pires, a Portuguese national, appeared at the Old Bailey for a 48-hour pre-trial hearing from Thameside Prison.
In court, he was assisted by a Portuguese translator and a lawyer via video link.
Judge Alexia Durran set a timeline for the case with a Sept. 13 hearing.
A preliminary three-week hearing was set for May 7, 2024, which was believed to be the earliest possible date.
The accused, who confirmed through a conversation that he had understood the translator, was taken into custody.
Earlier, Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn of the Metropolitan Police said that Ms Akomah was an active member of the church and that her loss was “strongly felt by a lot of people”.
