A woman has been convicted of murdering her disabled mother-in-law in a fire started to gain inheritance money. Elizabeth Vamplew, 77, died from burns and smoke inhalation after being rescued from her bungalow in Newark, Nottinghamshire, on 15 December 2021.
Karen Vamplew, 44, was accused of setting fire to her mother-in-law's bed while she slept. She denied murder but was found guilty on Friday after a trial at Leicester Crown Court. Judge Timothy Spencer said she would be sentenced on Monday, and there were audible gasps in the courtroom as the verdict was delivered.
Prosecutors said Vamplew had been in debt and had been using her mother-in-law's bank account to fund her lifestyle. The day before the fire, the pair were seen in a Santander bank after a £5 limit had been placed on the account.
CCTV showed the defendant leaving her home in King Street, Newark, at about 00:35 GMT on the day of the fire. She parked nearby, wearing a hoodie, and was seen running to her car at 01:13 before heading home. Four minutes later, she drove back to the Eton Court area and reported the fire at 01:25.
Vamplew told police she had become anxious when Elizabeth, known as Anne, did not call her that night. She said she had gone to check on Anne, who used a wheelchair and had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but had forgotten the keys and returned home to get them. She claimed she arrived back to find the bungalow ablaze and heard Anne screaming, and that she broke in but was forced back by smoke.
Following the verdict, Anne's family described her as 'a devoted mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, and friend to many', adding that she was happiest when spending time with her three granddaughters and that she adored cruising. They said she would be greatly missed.
