A killer who terrorised and strangled a vulnerable pensioner before going on a £13,000 spending spree with her savings has been jailed for at least 31 years.

Susan Hawkey, 71, was bound in her own home and forced to give over her bank card PIN by Xyaire Howard, 24, in September 2022.

Howard then killed Ms Hawkey to prevent her reporting what happened before he and girlfriend Chelsea Grant, 28, spent thousands of pounds of her money on luxury goods at Westfield shopping centre.

The pair had previously robbed Ms Hawkey – who was described by prosecutors as a “creature of habit” who would take the same route with her bank card to the shops and Post Office to withdraw cash – multiple times.

The pensioner’s body was found 20 days later under a duvet in the living room of her home in Neasden, northwest London.

She had been stripped of her lower clothing, her hands had been taped and tied behind her back, her eyes taped shut and a ligature placed around her neck was so tight, it had broken one of the bones in her neck.

On Wednesday, Howard was jailed for life with a minimum term of 31 years for murder, attempted robbery and two robberies.

Grant was sentenced to 15 years in prison for three robberies against Ms Hawkey and one attempted robbery.

Motivated by ‘greed and dishonesty’

Judge Judy Khan KC said the couple were motivated by their “greed and dishonesty”.

She said Howard had “terrorised” Ms Hawkey and subjected her to “humiliation and degradation” to get access to her money.

Over the course of three weeks, the pair made 146 transactions totalling some £13,000.

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Luxury purchases included perfume, a new television, portable speakers, telephones, clothes, shoes, sunglasses, watches and handbags.

Ms Hawkey’s bank account went from a balance of more than £16,000 to just £3,434.03, jurors heard.

Her bank card was finally stopped on 28 September last year, at the request of police and the defendants were arrested at a bus stop.

In a victim impact statement, Ms Hawkey’s family described her as a “proud woman” who led a reclusive life after the loss of her parents and job.

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