By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 13:38 EST, 21 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:40 EST, 21 November 2012 . A debt-ridden civil servant forged his elderly neighbour's will and then bludgeoned her to death with a claw hammer so he could inherit her house. Peter Smith, 48, was today jailed for life for the brutal murder of housebound widow Hilda Owen, 71, at her home in Skegby, Nottinghamshire, in February 2007. Just two days before the attack Smith - who the court heard was 'mortgaged to the hilt' - had prepared a will for frail Mrs Owen which bequeathed her entire estate to him. Guilty: Peter Smith, 48 (left), was found guilty of murdering his frail neighbour Hilda Owen, 71 (right), at her home in Skegby, Nottinghamshire in February 2007 . It is the second time Smith has been convicted of Mrs Owen's murder - he won the right to a re-trial after being found guilty by a jury in 2008. He will serve a minimum of 27 years. The former Department of Work and Pensions employee - who befriended his neighbour by running errands for her and helping her with shopping - had admitted preparing a will for Mrs Owen just two days before the widow was attacked. Smith, who had outstanding debts of £35,000, had denied getting her to sign the document and later filling in details in her absence in order to make himself the sole beneficiary. After falsifying Mrs Owen's will, Smith attacked the widow - who was rendered housebound by arthritis. Police were alerted when Smith pretended to discover her body two days later. He had scattered items around the room in an attempt to fool police into believing Mrs Owen had been attacked by a burglar. The 71-year-old was found with 48 injuries consistent with the use of a claw hammer and a screwdriver. Blood stains found at the scene indicated the woman had been struck from behind while sitting in a chair and then attacked on the floor. Scene: Smith pretended to find Mrs Owen's body two days after he had savagely killed her at her home in Skegby . Prosecutor Peter Joyce QC told the jury Mrs Owen had been 'a defenceless, elderly, disabled woman who was killed by Smith for her money and her possessions'. Nottingham Crown Court heard he had claimed grants for Mrs Owen and posed as her carer in order to collect £240 a month in benefits. After the hearing, Nottinghamshire Police Detective Superintendent Paul Cottee said: 'Once again, a jury has found Peter Smith guilty of the brutal murder of Hilda Owen. 'The evidence against Smith in terms of motive, his behaviour prior to Mrs Owen’s murder and his movements on and immediately after the day of her murder was overwhelming. 'The collation of that evidence is testament to excellent policing work to categorically identify Smith as the person who planned the killing of Mrs Owen in order to benefit financially from her death,' he added. Det Supt Cottee said the re-trial process meant the victim's relatives again had to endure hearing details of the ordeal she suffered at the hands of her killer. 'However, they can now be assured that the man who murdered her has been returned to prison, where he will remain for a very long time,' he said. Defenceless: Mrs Owen was discovered with 48 injuries inflicted with a claw hammer and a screwdriver . Mrs Owen’s family said in a statement: 'We are very pleased that the jury has returned a guiltyverdict so that, once and for all, we can be rid of any uncertainty that lingered over Smith’s original conviction following his appeal. 'Hopefully this verdict will bring an end to this devastating episode in our lives' Statement from Mrs Owen's family . 'We respect his legal right to have sought these proceedings, but it has again been a very upsetting time for us all. We have been put in the very unusual position of having to endure two trials which have both reached guilty verdicts against the same man for the same crime. 'Hopefully, this verdict will bring an end to this devastating episode in our lives.' Mrs Owen's neighbours told of their shock at learning she had been murdered by her neighbour. Geoff Shirley, who ran the village shop in Skegby, said: 'I thought Smith was the bee's knees. 'I thought he was ideal for Hilda, that he was a caring, good neighbour. I felt utterly betrayed when it turned out as it has. I was devastated. 'I honestly thought "how could anyone have done that to Hilda?" She was so frail.'
Peter Smith, 48, attacked his elderly neighbour with a claw hammer and a screwdriver at her home in Skegby, Nottingham, in 2007 .
Smith, who was 'mortgaged to the hilt', had falsified Hilda Owen's will before the murder so he could inherit her house and pay of his debts .
The former Department of Work and Pensions employee was today sentenced to life in prison with a minimum sentence of 27 years .
It was the second time Smith was convicted of murdering the widow - he won the right to a re-trial after being found guilty in 2008 .
By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 13:38 EST, 21 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:40 EST, 21 November 2012 . A debt-ridden civil servant forged his elderly neighbour's will and then bludgeoned her to death with a claw hammer so he could inherit her house. Peter Smith, 48, was today jailed for life for the brutal murder of housebound widow Hilda Owen, 71, at her home in Skegby, Nottinghamshire, in February 2007. Just two days before the attack Smith - who the court heard was 'mortgaged to the hilt' - had prepared a will for frail Mrs Owen which bequeathed her entire estate to him. Guilty: Peter Smith, 48 (left), was found guilty of murdering his frail neighbour Hilda Owen, 71 (right), at her home in Skegby, Nottinghamshire in February 2007 . It is the second time Smith has been convicted of Mrs Owen's murder - he won the right to a re-trial after being found guilty by a jury in 2008. He will serve a minimum of 27 years. The former Department of Work and Pensions employee - who befriended his neighbour by running errands for her and helping her with shopping - had admitted preparing a will for Mrs Owen just two days before the widow was attacked. Smith, who had outstanding debts of £35,000, had denied getting her to sign the document and later filling in details in her absence in order to make himself the sole beneficiary. After falsifying Mrs Owen's will, Smith attacked the widow - who was rendered housebound by arthritis. Police were alerted when Smith pretended to discover her body two days later. He had scattered items around the room in an attempt to fool police into believing Mrs Owen had been attacked by a burglar. The 71-year-old was found with 48 injuries consistent with the use of a claw hammer and a screwdriver. Blood stains found at the scene indicated the woman had been struck from behind while sitting in a chair and then attacked on the floor. Scene: Smith pretended to find Mrs Owen's body two days after he had savagely killed her at her home in Skegby . Prosecutor Peter Joyce QC told the jury Mrs Owen had been 'a defenceless, elderly, disabled woman who was killed by Smith for her money and her possessions'. Nottingham Crown Court heard he had claimed grants for Mrs Owen and posed as her carer in order to collect £240 a month in benefits. After the hearing, Nottinghamshire Police Detective Superintendent Paul Cottee said: 'Once again, a jury has found Peter Smith guilty of the brutal murder of Hilda Owen. 'The evidence against Smith in terms of motive, his behaviour prior to Mrs Owen’s murder and his movements on and immediately after the day of her murder was overwhelming. 'The collation of that evidence is testament to excellent policing work to categorically identify Smith as the person who planned the killing of Mrs Owen in order to benefit financially from her death,' he added. Det Supt Cottee said the re-trial process meant the victim's relatives again had to endure hearing details of the ordeal she suffered at the hands of her killer. 'However, they can now be assured that the man who murdered her has been returned to prison, where he will remain for a very long time,' he said. Defenceless: Mrs Owen was discovered with 48 injuries inflicted with a claw hammer and a screwdriver . Mrs Owen’s family said in a statement: 'We are very pleased that the jury has returned a guiltyverdict so that, once and for all, we can be rid of any uncertainty that lingered over Smith’s original conviction following his appeal. 'Hopefully this verdict will bring an end to this devastating episode in our lives' Statement from Mrs Owen's family . 'We respect his legal right to have sought these proceedings, but it has again been a very upsetting time for us all. We have been put in the very unusual position of having to endure two trials which have both reached guilty verdicts against the same man for the same crime. 'Hopefully, this verdict will bring an end to this devastating episode in our lives.' Mrs Owen's neighbours told of their shock at learning she had been murdered by her neighbour. Geoff Shirley, who ran the village shop in Skegby, said: 'I thought Smith was the bee's knees. 'I thought he was ideal for Hilda, that he was a caring, good neighbour. I felt utterly betrayed when it turned out as it has. I was devastated. 'I honestly thought "how could anyone have done that to Hilda?" She was so frail.'
bludgeoned her to death with a claw hammer so he could inherit her house. Peter Smith, 48, was heard was 'mortgaged to the hilt' - had prepared neighbour Hilda Owen, 71 (right), at her home in the second time Smith has been convicted of Mrs Owen's murder - he won the right to a re-trial after being found guilty by a jury in 2008. He will serve a minimum of 27 years. The former Department of Work and Pensions employee - who before the widow was attacked. Smith, who had claw hammer and a screwdriver . Mrs Owen’s family