Schoolboy, aged 13: I killed woman in Smethwick street

The teenage robber admitted the manslaughter of Glynis Bensley at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday.

Ms Bensley was left dead or dying in Cheshire Road, Smethwick, on September 3 last year.

The 47-year-old, who was found with the imprint of a shoe on her face, had just left The Seven Stars pub in Cape Hill, where she was a regular, and had been walking alone to her home in Rosefield Road.

The 13-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has admitted robbery and manslaughter but denies her murder, for which he is now standing trial.

He appears alongside 20-year-old Zoheb Majid, who denies all three charges.

Opening the case yesterday Mr Richard Atkins, prosecuting, said that on her way home Ms Bensley had been 'vulnerable' and the pair decided to rob her.

He said that during the course of the robbery, in which she was stripped of her money, mobile phone, cigarettes and jewellery, she was punched to the head and the youth had stamped on her face.

The court heard that the pathologist could not say which blow caused her death, but thought it more likely to be the punch.

Mr Atkins said the pair went through Ms Bensley's clothes to take anything of value and left her on the pavement with her head in the gutter. He told the jury: "They left her dead or dying. They spared no thought for her and did nothing to help her.

"It was purely her misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

The court heard that Ms Bensley had short hair and was mistaken for a man when she was found on the pavement.

When police arrived, it soon became clear that nothing could be done to save her.

Ms Bensley's lips had turned blue, she had a cut to the bridge of her nose and a footprint on her face.

Paramedics pronounced her dead in the early hours of September 4. Mr Atkins said the teenager had previously been roaming around Smethwick and met up with Majid, who had been on a bike.

The pair, who knew each other, continued walking and cycling together around the area and their actions were captured on CCTV. The footage, including the moment when Ms Bensley was robbed, was shown to the jury.

Mr Atkins said a witness overheard the youth telling someone at Victoria Park: "I did not mean to do it. It was an accident."

He said the teenager was heard saying he only wanted the gold bracelet and that he had hit someone who fell backwards and hit their head on the pavement.

Mr Atkins told the jury that he had made further admissions to others about what had happened, saying to one person, who described him as shaking, that 'some madness happened'.

He allegedly told her that he and a friend had been looking for someone to rob and had targeted a man. The youth handed himself in at a police station a few days later and Majid was arrested in Highgate on September 11. Mr Atkins said the youth told one witness that he

had changed his clothes after what had happened.

Following his arrest, Majid told police he had been staying with a friend in Highgate for a few days and the address was searched.

Officers recovered a jacket and bike. Majid admitted he had been at the scene but

denied any involvement, telling police he had slapped the youth after seeing him attack someone.

Mr Atkins said Ms Bensley did not have a lot of money and owned a black flip phone, but when her body was found the phone was missing and she had no money on her. He said she had spent a pleasant evening drinking with friends at The Seven Stars and one of them described her as being 'vulnerable' when she was drunk.

Ms Bensley was found with alcohol in her system when samples of her blood and urine were analysed and was probably drunk as she walked home, Mr Atkins said.

He added: "She probably was unsteady on her feet, which made her an easy target for these two to prey upon."

Majid, of Cheshire Road, Smethwick, denies murder, manslaughter and robbing Ms Bensley of money, cigarettes, a mobile phone and jewellery.

The 13-year-old has admitted manslaughter and robbery but denies murder. The trial, which is expected to last more than a week, continues.