Woman, 43, accused of murdering her disabled mother-in-law in a fire for inheritance money had 'suspiciously' clean pyjamas after claiming she tried to save the victim from the blaze, court told

The niece of a 77-year-old disabled woman who died in a fire, allegedly started deliberately by her daughter-in-law, said it was 'suspicious' that the accused had clean pyjamas despite her claims of crawling along the hallway to save the victim from the inferno. 

Elizabeth Vamplew, 77, died from burns and smoke inhalation, having been rescued from her bungalow in Eton Court, Newark, Nottinghamshire, on 15 December 2021.

Her daughter-in-law, Karen Vamplew, 43, of King Street, Newark, is accused of murder, having set fire to the elderly woman's bed in a bid to obtain inheritance money.

A trial at Leicester Crown Court, which is expected to last four weeks, heard from  witness Amanda Ennells who said she found t 'hard to believe' Vamplew had been arrested for supposedly killing her aunt, who was known as Anne.

In a police statement, the niece told officers she needed to find out the circumstances behind her aunt's death 'because a lot of things just don't make sense'. 

Karen Vamplew, 43, is accused of murdering her mother-in-law Elizabeth Vamplew, 77, who died from burns and smoke inhalation after a fire at her bungalow in Eton Court, Newark, Nottinghamshire in 2021 

Another witness told the trial that Vamplew told her she 'crawled into the hallway' to try and rescue the victim, but was told to 'get out' by the 999 call operator she was on the phone to at the time.

The accused, who the prosecution say carried out the killing for inheritance money, denies the charge.

Giving evidence, Mrs Ennells said she saw Vamplew at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham following the blaze at Eton Court, Newark.

She said: 'I remember thinking her pyjamas were clean, I remember Karen said she could hear my aunt shouting but could not get to her.'

Defending barrister Andrew Vout KC asked the witness: 'The fact that her pyjamas were clean, is it right that you found that suspicious?' 

The niece replied: 'Yes.'

Mr Vout asked: 'Did you share those suspicions?' 

The witness replied: 'I remember saying it to my husband, but I did not raise it with anyone else.'

Mr Vout said: 'On December 16, 2021, the day after the fire, you gave a statement to the police and by that time Karen had been arrested on suspicion of murder. 

'In your statement, you said: "I am devastated by what's happened, I had a good relationship with Auntie Anne, I just need to find out what happened because a lot of things just don't make sense".

'Do you remember saying that?'  Mrs Ennells replied: 'Yes.'

Mr Vout said: 'Did the fact that Karen had been arrested on suspicion of murder make you think, therefore, that Auntie Anne had been murdered?' 

The niece replied: 'I found it hard to believe. It is something you don't expect to happen in your family, it is hard to take in.'

The jury has heard how the day after the blaze Vamplew, a 43-year-old mother-of-four, had a telephone conversation with a friend called Katie Joynes in which she said she 'forced the door' at Elizabeth Vamplew's bungalow, but was unable to get to her bedroom to rescue her.

Giving evidence, Miss Joynes said the accused then told her the blaze had been started by a cigarette Mrs Vamplew had been smoking in bed, but that she could not understand that as she 'only smoked in the kitchen'.

Another witness, a family friend called Marion Gasson, also gave evidence at the trial. 

She said following the blaze she spoke to Vamplew on the telephone about what happened.

Mrs Gasson said: 'She said she went to Anne's house and could smell smoke. She said she lifted the letterbox flap, heard Anne screaming and could smell strong smoke.

Giving evidence, Amanda Ennells said she saw Vamplew at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham (pictured) following the blaze and remarked on how clean her pyjamas were despite claims that she crawled along the hallway to save the victim

'She said she let herself in and called 999 and then told me she crawled in the hallway, but the person on the line told her to get out because she was coughing.' 

Prosecutor Peter Joyce KC asked the witness: 'Did she tell you what she was wearing when she went round?' 

Mrs Gasson replied: 'She told me she was in her night clothes and dressing gown.'

The trial, which is expected to last four weeks, continues.