Every third day, in our #EveryThreeDays campaign, I write about a woman killed by a man. Previously in this campaign, which started on the 2nd of May 2021, I have remembered 91 women. The last being Jessica King, who’s killer Jordan Thackray was jailed for life on the 19th of January 2018.
Today we remember eighty-year-old Teresa Wishart, who was found dead by her youngest daughter when she visited in October 2017
Teresa was described as the “mother of the street” – she was attacked and then raped by Charles Stapleton who had an incredible 108 previous convictions.
He lived in a house that backed onto Teresa’s and had befriended her in the months before the murder, doing odd jobs.
After leaving the great-grandmother with severe blunt-force head injuries and ransacking her home, he stole the wedding ring, which Teresa had not removed for 60 years. He pawned the ring and other jewellery the day after attacking her for items valued at just £110.
Stapleton was jailed for life with a minimum of 31 years for the murder of Teresa, as well as six years for burglary and 12 years for rape to run concurrently with the life sentence.
Judge Clement Goldstone QC said at Liverpool Crown Court “as well as violently attacking her, it was beyond belief of any right-thinking human being” that Stapleton went on to rape her.
Teresa’s eldest daughter Lesley said a “monster” had denied her mother a dignified death.
Her family said in a statement after sentencing that they would “never forgive Stapleton for his brutal and despicable acts”.
“For our mum to be attacked in what should be the safe haven of her home is something that we still struggle to comprehend. Our mum had a heart of gold and had given that man odd jobs to do days before he chose to enter our mum’s home and savagely attack her, then ransack her beautiful home.”
Appalled how one human being can do this to another – an eighty-year-old woman?
So am I.
Teresa Wishart
#EveryThreeDays
