Man, 36, admits killing beloved grandmother, 86, who was found in pool of blood at Somerset home after ‘burglary’

A MAN today admitted killing a grandmother who was found in a pool of blood at her village home after a suspected burglary.

Beryl ‘Bez‘ Purdy, 86, was bludgeoned to death in Broomfield, Somerset, on March 27 last year.

David Parish today pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility at Bristol Crown Court.

The 36-year-old, who had denied murder, was remanded into custody to be sentenced on March 1.

Anna Vigars KC, prosecuting, told the court: “We have received psychiatric reports commissioned by the defence and the Crown.

“They both come to the same conclusion.

“I can confirm that were a plea of not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility to be entered that would be acceptable to the Crown.”

Police were called to Beryl’s home following reports of a burglary in progress.

They discovered the seriously injured church warden “slumped on the ground in a pool of blood”.

Tributes flooded in for Beryl, who was described as an “absolute pillar of the community”.

Her family said: “As a family, we are devastated to have lost a dearly loved wife, mother and granny.

“Bez was a caring person who would help anyone in need and was very much part of the village, being a church warden for 20 years.

“We will miss her very much and we are all struggling to understand why this happened to such a lovely person.”