A MUM whose thug boyfriend murdered a World War Two veteran has been spared jail.

Beverley Hardman admitted knowing that her killer boyfriend Daniel Crompton had stolen electrical goods in a burglary in Daubhill on August 3.

On that basis she concealed Crompton the following day, by refusing to answer the door to police and then driving her erstwhile boyfriend, with whom she has a three-year-old son, away from their home.

But Crompton had also attacked 87-year-old Frank Worsley in his own home in Longfield Road, Daubhill, earlier that night, and the war veteran died from his injuries on August 20.

But a jury cleared Hardman of helping with the murder, after the prosecution argued she knew of the second raid when she drove Crompton to another house in Halliwell, as well as later lying to police about it.

She denied all knowledge of the attack on Mr Worsley, and the jury upheld her account.

Hardman, aged 25, of Calverleigh Close, Daubhill, was given a three-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, plus 100 hours of unpaid work in a hearing at Manchester Crown Court yesterday. 

Mr Worsley served in the Royal Navy Medical Corps and Crompton, aged 25, was jailed for life in March.

Hardman and Crompton have split up since the murder, her family has said, speaking after the court case.