A 39-YEAR-OLD woman was beaten to death in her own home by two girls aged 13 and 14 who inflicted more than 100 injuries by beating her with a coffee table, shovel, television and a stick with screws, a court heard.

The two girls, now aged 14 and 15, have both pleaded not guilty to the murder of Angela Wrightson in her home in Stephen Street, Hartlepool, in December, 2014.

Nicholas Campbell, QC, prosecuting at Leeds Crown Court, said that Ms Wrightson, who was an alcoholic and would buy alcohol and cigarettes on behalf the girls, was found dead by her landlord, sitting on the sofa in her front room naked from the waist down.

The Northern Echo: VICTIM: photo issued by Cleveland Police of Angela Wrightson, taken some years before her death aged 39
VICTIM: photo of Angela Wrightson, taken some years before her death aged 39

Ash from burning paper was found in Ms Wrightson’s ear and shards of glass, gravel and grit was strewn around her lower body area.

The court was told that the girls were picked up by police in the early hours of the morning, near the battered Ms Wrightson’s house and the 13-year-old took a picture of the two of them in the police vehicle, publishing it on the ‘Snapchat’ media site with the message; ‘me and (name) on the ‘bizzie’ van.’

The trial was also told that one of the teenage girls had been told to ‘go kill herself’ by her own mother earlier on the day of the attack but she had left and later bumped into her friend each near Stephen Street and they decided to spend the day together.

The prosecuting barrister said that later that night at about 7.15pm the two girls entered Ms Wrightson’s home through the unlocked door despite earlier knocking and there being no reply. About six minutes later Ms Wrightson went to a nearby corner shop, Hartley’s, where she bought a bottle of cider and a bar of chocolate.

She was caught on the CCTV returning to her home at 7.32pm, the last time she was seen alive.

About 9pm a ‘selfie’ picture was taken inside the house by the younger girl which showed Angela Wrightson with marks on her face, which had not been there when she was caught on camera at Hartley’s.

All three people remained in the house for the next three-and-a-half hours although the teenagers left just after 11pm and returned from 2am until 4.11am.

Mr Campbell said: “By that time, at the very least she (Ms Wrightson) was fatally injured and was probably dead. Indeed, there is evidence that they believed she may have already died before they returned that morning (at 2am).”

The younger teenager called a friend via Facebook at about 10.40pm from inside Ms Wrightson’s house.

Mr Campbell said: “While they were on the ‘phone together the friend heard the defendant shouting: ‘Go on. Smash her head in. Bray her. F****** kill her.’

“The friend thought she heard some laughing, but that was not from (the 13-year-old). Rather, it sounded as though it was someone in the background. In due course, everything went quiet."

The friends met a boy they knew in the period after they left the house, at 11pm and before they returned at 2am. The teenage boy saw that both the girls had blood on their clothes but they said they had fallen over and they started listening to music.

Mr Campbell continued: “During much of this, the two defendants were standing together and talking. (The older defendant) said something about ‘slicing her face’ and ‘booting her all over,’ and that she had “done all the work while (the other defendant) was smoking a tab.”

It is thought the indignities inflicted on Ms Wrightson happened after the girls returned and, knowing they had both been reported missing, they called the police and were picked up. It was while being taken home by police that the Snapchat image was sent.

Sitting up front, one of the officers heard the defendants say “Snapchat” and “put the flash on”. He realised that they were taking photographs. He told them to stop and turned off the passenger light.

The next morning, the older defendant met her one-on-one social care expert, as was usual and told her that it was being reported there had been a murder on Stephen Street.

Later she asked the woman, ‘How do you think it feels to kill somebody? Do you think you feel empty? Do you think you feel bad?”

She added: ‘How long do you think you get for murder?’ and that she would ‘probably end up in Low Newton prison.’

Mr Campbell added: “She suggested that it may just sort her out anyhow, as she believed that she would be able to do courses in there, and that she would have her own room, TV and Playstation."

The other defendant spoke to another one of her friends the next day telling her, ‘We done Angie in last night.’

Mr Campbell said: “The defendant went on to say that they, ‘stamped all over her head. Angela Wrightson had been saying; ‘Please don’t. Stop. I’m scared.’ The defendant said that, in spite of that, they; ‘had kept on booting her.’”

The trial continues.