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| Author was 'murdered for wealth' | Author was 'murdered for wealth' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A reclusive millionaire author was murdered by a man who stole his identity in order to plunder his wealth, the Old Bailey has heard. | A reclusive millionaire author was murdered by a man who stole his identity in order to plunder his wealth, the Old Bailey has heard. |
| Allan Chappelow, 86, was found beaten to death at his home in Downshire Hill, Hampstead, north-west London, in 2006. | Allan Chappelow, 86, was found beaten to death at his home in Downshire Hill, Hampstead, north-west London, in 2006. |
| His body was hidden for about a month as a man stole his post in order to access his finances, jurors heard. | His body was hidden for about a month as a man stole his post in order to access his finances, jurors heard. |
| Wang Yam, 46, of Hampstead, denies murder, burglary as well as four dishonesty offences. | Wang Yam, 46, of Hampstead, denies murder, burglary as well as four dishonesty offences. |
| The charges include obtaining a money transfer of £20,000 by pretending to be the writer and taking four cheques and post from the house. | The charges include obtaining a money transfer of £20,000 by pretending to be the writer and taking four cheques and post from the house. |
| Missing post | Missing post |
| The court heard Mr Chappelow's body was found under a pile of papers in a room at the dilapidated house, which is thought to be valued at £2.5m. | The court heard Mr Chappelow's body was found under a pile of papers in a room at the dilapidated house, which is thought to be valued at £2.5m. |
| Prosecutor Mark Ellison said Mr Chappelow had returned from a trip to America on 1 May and found his front door had been forced open and his post stolen. | |
| This would have included correspondence about a "substantial amount of money" in his accounts. | This would have included correspondence about a "substantial amount of money" in his accounts. |
| The last time he was known to be alive was on 8 May when he telephoned the Inland Revenue to check that a tax rebate had not been amongst the missing post. | The last time he was known to be alive was on 8 May when he telephoned the Inland Revenue to check that a tax rebate had not been amongst the missing post. |
| Highly intelligent | Highly intelligent |
| Mr Ellison said Mr Yam was using a form of identity theft know as "facility takeover" where the thief would impersonate the victim over the internet or telephone. | Mr Ellison said Mr Yam was using a form of identity theft know as "facility takeover" where the thief would impersonate the victim over the internet or telephone. |
| The court heard that in September 2005 the defendant had declared himself bankrupt after amassing debts of £1.1m with virtually no assets. | |
| "There is no evidence that the defendant and Mr Chappelow were known to each other - but there is evidence of Mr Wang's dire financial circumstances while he continued to put himself about as someone with the money to purchase properties worth more than £1m in the Hampstead area," said Mr Ellison. | "There is no evidence that the defendant and Mr Chappelow were known to each other - but there is evidence of Mr Wang's dire financial circumstances while he continued to put himself about as someone with the money to purchase properties worth more than £1m in the Hampstead area," said Mr Ellison. |
| The court was told how Mr Chappelow had been a successful author, particularly in the 1960s when he wrote two biographies of George Bernard Shaw. | The court was told how Mr Chappelow had been a successful author, particularly in the 1960s when he wrote two biographies of George Bernard Shaw. |
| At the time of his death he lived alone in the house with rubbish piled up on the inside and out. | |
| Before the case started jurors were told that part of the trial would be heard "in camera" where the press and public would be excluded. The case continues. | |