Adris Mohammed: burglar who tied pensioner David Varlow, 78, to chair and left him to die given life sentence

A burglar concivcted of murdering a frail pensioner who was found tied up at his home and left to die has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 33 years.

Adris Mohammed, 44, broke into the home of David Varlow, 78, in Halesowen, West Midlands, in the early hours of 3 November last year.

Mr Varlow was discovered by police on 15 November with his ankles and wrists tied to a chair with cable ties and a telephone cable, after neighbours raised concerns they had not seen him for some time.

The 44-year-old ransacked the house of the vulnerable pensioner before stealing his bank cards and threatening to kill him with a knife for his PIN number. He then went on a £550 spending spree while Mr Varlow was tied up and left to die, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

It was later found that Mr Varlow, who lived alone, had died from a heart attack brought on by the stress of his ordeal.

Pensioner was a regular target

Police found Mr Mohammed, of Edgbaston, Birmingham, had targeted the pensioner three times in total and had even returned to the property while his body was inside.

He denied attempted burglary, aggravated burglary, murder and fraud, but last month was found guilty of all charges following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

Jurors heard how Mr Varlow first phoned 999 when he heard glass smashing at his property at around 10.30pm on 24 October last year. When he turned a light on, he heard the burglar run away while officers were sent to the scene.

Mr Mohammed returned to the property on 3 November at around 5.20am where he broke through a window, tied up the 78-year-old with a phone cable and left with his bank card.

A total of £8,000 was spent on Mr Valow’s card following his death, jurors were told.

The court then heard that Mr Mohammed returned to the pensioners home at around midnight on 11 November with a second man, O’Shea Swan. There, they would have seen Mr Varlow was dead and they untied him before stealing a second bank card.

CCTV footage showed Mr Mohammed withdrawing cash minutes after the burglary which killed Mr Varlow.

He was also captured on camera selling a gold bangle at Cash Converters in Stafford, which had been bought by a friend of his using Mr Varlow’s card. Mr Mohammed wanted to turn the purchase into cash by selling it.

Around £550 in total was withdrawn by Mr Mohammed and the rest by people he had shared it with.

He was arrested by police when officers found his DNA on the knife, scissors and cable left at the scene, while Mr Swan was found following analysis of mobile phone data which showed who Mr Mohammed had been in contact with.

Mr Swan, 42, of Winson Green, Birmingham, was convicted of burglary and fraud and was jailed for six years.

‘No punishment is enough’

Mr Mohammed displayed no emotion as he was sentenced to 33 years in jail, with the judge saying he had shown “not a shred of remorse”.

Passing the sentence, the Recorder of Birmingham Melbourne Inman QC said the murder could "only properly be described as an horrific case".

The judge told Mr Mohammed: "Having seen you give evidence it’s clear you have not a shred of remorse.

"You knew Mr Varlow would be at home and when you confronted him you set about a deliberate and calculated course of action in tying him in the way you did.

“You intended to kill him by leaving him immobile without food or water."

Mr Varlow’s family paid tribute to the pensioner following the sentence and said “words cannot adequately describe our relief” after the jury found Mr Mohammed guilty of murder, burglary and fraud.

The family said: “Justice has been done for David but we will never forget nor ever forgive the man who did this terrible thing.

"No punishment could ever be enough for what he has done. Nobody deserved to die alone the way David did.”

Detective Inspector Ranj Sangha, of West Midlands Police, added: “Mr Varlow suffered an appalling ordeal, being tied up and essentially left for dead by a man whose only interest was to steal from him.

“We believe that Mohammed returned to Mr Varlow’s house for a third and final time, knowing that he was either still tied up or dead.

“But instead of doing the right thing and calling for help, he went on to steal from him again, with Swan going along to help.

“Thankfully, burglaries involving this level of violence are rare, but that will come as little comfort to Mr Varlow’s family.”