Widow mugged of husband's ashes dies of head injuries; two arrested in murder inquiry

[scooterscot]

You have to ask, if death was her choice would they have been in the handbag in the first place?

[d000hg]

If the woman hadn't had ashes in her purse would this have made the news? Did the kids know she had the ashes? If not it's rather sensationalist.

[thunderlizard]

I am going to reserve judgement on this one, just in case it turns out one of the boys had his dad's ashes in his pocket, thus evening it out a bit.

[NotAllThere]

How did he define "murder"? I mean a soldier's job is to kill people.

[OwlHoot]

Richard the Lionheart had the right idea, ordering that any soldier committing murder while on crusade would be buried alive with their victim.

[russell]

They should be ash amed of themselves.

[NotAllThere]

A whole new meaning to grave robbing.

It is quite serious, yes.

[Cliphead]

Hang the fckers.

[scooterscot]

It's weird to carry their ashes in your purse,.

Agreed.

Yet is so sad all the same that even in death they could not be parted until...

I blame the parents, the broken society, etc etc so sad this is the way things are.

[MarillionFan]

It's weird to carry their ashes in your purse, but I wouldn't go as far as to call it scummy.

A whole new meaning to grave robbing.

[d000hg]

What utter scum -

It's weird to carry their ashes in your purse, but I wouldn't go as far as to call it scummy.

[scooterscot]

What utter scum -

Two youths were arrested yesterday after widow Nellie Geraghty died of head injuries after being mugged of her handbag which contained her husband's ashes.

Nellie, 79, was left critically ill after she suffered serious head injuries as she desperately tried to cling on to the bag during the incident in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

Police said she died in Royal Oldham Hospital Hospital at about midnight.

The two youths were arrested on suspicion of robbery, however police said they were now treating Nellie's death as murder.

Mrs Geraghty was found collapsed in an alleyway near her home in Shaw just before noon on Thursday.

Inside her handbag was a blue velvet bag containing the ashes of her husband - who died 17 years ago - in a small box, and also £200 in cash.

The handbag was missing at the scene but the strap was still in the pensioner's hand.

A Greater Manchester Police spokeswoman said: "This is a murder inquiry now.

"The elderly woman who was found unconscious in Shaw has now died.

"Two boys, aged 14 and 17, have been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remain in police custody."

Anyone with information about the incident near to the junction of Kershaw Street and Victoria Street should call police on 0161 856 8951 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.