This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-18956772#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Andrew Flood pleads guilty to Southport murders "Desperate" Andrew Flood jailed for Southport murders
(about 3 hours later)
A Southport taxi driver has pleaded guilty to murdering two of his elderly passengers in the town. A Southport taxi driver with a gambling addiction has been jailed for at least 30 years after admitting murdering two of his elderly passengers.
Andrew Flood, of Clifton Road, admitted killing Margaret Biddolph, 78, and Anne Leyland, 88, at Liverpool Crown Court.Andrew Flood, of Clifton Road, admitted killing Margaret Biddolph, 78, and Anne Leyland, 88, at Liverpool Crown Court.
Both victims were discovered in their own homes. The court heard Mrs Leyland was found strangled with her own dressing gown cord. He strangled both victims in their own homes, one with a phone charger cable, the other with her dressing gown cord.
The women had previously been passengers in the 43-year-old's cab, the court was told. The court heard Flood, 43, was a "desperate" man with debts of around £18,000.
Flood used a telephone charger cable to strangle Mrs Biddolph at her home in Lonsdale Road. Her body was found on 18 February. Same bookmakers
Mrs Leyland was found dead at her home in nearby Birch Street the day after. Nick Johnson QC, prosecuting, said following the murder of Mrs Leyland on 20 February, Flood was seen on CCTV "smiling" as he left a betting shop in Southport shortly after 15:00 GMT.
The court was told Flood then murdered Mrs Biddolph before returning to the same bookmakers shortly before 16:00 GMT.
Mr Johnson said: "We know he murdered Mrs Biddolph and 53 minutes would certainly have been long enough to have done it."
Mrs Biddolph was found dead at her home in Lonsdale Road on 21 February, with Mrs Leyland discovered dead the following day on nearby Birch Street.
Mr Johnson said: "Mrs Leyland had been strangled with the cord from the dressing gown she was wearing when she answered the door to Flood."
Post-mortem examinations suggest Flood may well have been "sitting astride" the pensioner and strangled her "face to face".
The court heard Flood could not pay the rent on his family home.
Flood also pleaded guilty to robbery of another passenger in a separate incident.Flood also pleaded guilty to robbery of another passenger in a separate incident.
He is due to be sentenced later.