Man, 81, tried to rob woman 'to fund own funeral'

An 81-year-old man living with terminal kidney cancer claimed he tried to rob a 95-year-old woman in her own home to help pay for his own funeral.

Retired pharmacy courier Edwin Morrison strangled his victim while shouting: "Give me your money" and then bound her hands together with cable ties at her home in the Little Hulton area of Salford, Greater Manchester, on 27 January.

His victim said she was left unable to breathe and pleaded with him to let her go but Morrison told her to "shut up", Manchester Crown Court heard.

Morrison, who admitted attempted robbery, will return to the same court for sentencing on 15 April.

The court heard Morrison, who retired aged 75 and has no previous convictions, only left empty-handed from his victim's house due to the "fortuitous" arrival of her mobile hairdresser.

Morrison, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in May 2024, was said to have targeted the woman after he had visited her home when delivering medication as part of his former job.

Prosecutors said Morrison, of nearby Worsley, was regularly gambling at his local bookmakers in the months before the attack but did not go there on the day of the attempted robbery.

Morrison was also said to have expressed "concerns" about funding a new kitchen at the home where he lived with his long-term partner.

But Morrison's lawyer said his client had gambled throughout his life and did not hatch the robbery plan to pay off any debts.

The court was told a psychiatric report had concluded Morrison was suffering from a "depressive disorder" by the end of 2025.

In a combination of "depression and despair", he is said to have decided to end his life in February, while his partner was away on a break.

Morrison did not want to be a financial burden to his family in paying for his funeral, added his barrister Nick Clarke.

On New Year's Day, he set up an online GoFundMe appeal titled "Help to bury me" as he outlined his health problems.

He wrote: "More or less been told to go in a corner and see my time out. I have no money to cover funeral costs and other incidentals."

Clarke told the court: "The GoFundMe page was unsuccessful... so he came up with this particular scheme, which in his mind would not be complicated and not cause the problems that it did.

"He was utterly selfish and self-centred - for perhaps the first time in his life - in committing this offence.

"He is remorseful for what he has done. It is submitted that no real harm was intended. The motivation for this offending was altruistic rather than malicious."

Clarke said his client had, for the most part of his life, been a loving partner and a stepfather to a number of children and grandchildren.

The barrister added: "He was a working man who delivered medicines for a pharmacy and he enjoyed the contact with members of the community."

Rob Smith, prosecuting, said Morrison drove to his victim's property and walked up the front path to her door.

Morrison said he was there to inform her about a change in her bin collection day, and was invited in.

The woman later told police that they were sitting in her living room when "it all kicked off" and Morrison put his hands around her throat while demanding cash.

In a victim personal statement, she told the court: "I thought I was going to die."

Shortly after, mobile hairdresser Michaela Nelson arrived for her weekly appointment and let herself in.

Smith said: "Ms Nelson went into the lounge and saw an old man sitting in front of the victim and assumed he was a friend.

"(The victim) shouted at her to call the police and she at first thought it was a joke."

Morrison then held his hands up as if he was going to grab the throat of the hairdresser, the court was told, before she ran away and he left the house.

Police arrived shortly after and Morrison was traced to his home address by the movements of his Peugeot, the court heard.

He was charged three days after the attack with a number of offences and remanded into custody.

After he admitted a single count of attempted robbery, the prosecution asked for other alleged offences of false imprisonment and intentional strangulation to lie on file.

Judge Peter Horgan adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to assess the danger posed by Morrison and to find out more information about his health.

Remanding him back into custody, the judge warned him: "You know there will be an immediate sentence of custody in this case. The only question is how long."

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