A BURGLAR cried as he told a prison worker he was remorseful about the death of the pensioner he is alleged to have murdered, a court heard.

Daniel Crompton told Amanda Bardsley, a custody officer at HMP Forest Bank, that he felt he had let his family down following the death of 87-year-old Frank Worsley, whose home he burgled in Longfield Road, Daubhill.

Miss Bardsley, giving evidence for the prosecution, said: “He was very tearful at the time.

“He expressed quite a lot of remorse about the old man. He said he didn’t intend to be there.”

She added that Crompton, of no fixed address, told her he intended to burgle the house next-door but it was dark and he saw a window was open in Mr Worsley’s home and climbed up.

Miss Bardsley said when Mr Worsley sat up in bed he “panicked and pushed him”.

Daniel Janner QC, defending, reading from a statement made after the incident, said Crompton told Miss Bardsley he had just got his life back on track after sorting things out with his girlfriend, Beverley Hardman, and he had made a “mistake”.

Mr Janner, reading from Miss Bardsley’s statement, said: “He was more upset because he had discovered more about the man. Mr Worsley was ex Navy and had cared for his wheelchair-bound wife. He became tearful.”

The court heard 24-year-old Crompton was not aware the information would be disclosed during the trial.

A statement by DC Paul Quinn, who went to Ms Hardman’s home in Caverleigh Close, Daubhill, looking for Crompton on Sunday, August 4 – the day after the break-in at Mr Worsley’s home – said Ms Hardman was “unhelpful and defensive” and then became “rude and abusive”.

She was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender after Crompton started calling her and she refused to let police take down the number.

Ryan Holman, a friend of Crompton, allowed him to stay at his home in Grove Street, Halliwell, for a night as he believed he had fallen out with Ms Hardman.

They played computer games and Crompton was arrested at the flat on August 5.

Mr Holman, in a statement read to the court, said when police arrived at his flat Crompton told him “not to let them in” but Mr Holman allowed them access to the property.

Mr Worsley died on August 20, less than three weeks after his home was burgled.

Crompton denies murder and manslaughter but admits the burglary.

The case continues.