MURDER trial jurors have watched CCTV footage of a man attempting to steal a Hampshire grandmother’s money hours after he allegedly murdered her.

Prosecutors say it was Matthew Hamlen, heavily disguised in a large fluorescent jacket, trying to withdraw money from an ATM with Georgina Edmonds’ cash card within hours of her being tortured then battered to death.

The footage of the man, who appears hunched over and shielding his face from the camera, was played at Winchester Crown Court yesterday.

Previously unseen images, captured from a council property on the opposite side of the road, were also shown on TV screens. Prosecutor Michael Bowes QC says the footage shows the man leaving the ATM along a small footpath only local people would be familiar with.

The court was told by police staff investigator Colin Hamilton, who reviewed the footage in detail, how the man was wearing jeans, white trainers and black gloves. He was seen using his right hand to put the stolen card into the machine outside Tesco in Twyford Road, where he attempted to withdraw £200 from the 77-year-old’s account on the evening of January 11, 2008, but failed as he had the wrong PIN.

During cross examination, defence barrister Tom Mousley QC, said images had since been seized of Hamlen using other cash points and he is pictured using his left hand on most occasions.

He added there had been eight people identified on footage from the Tesco store on the day of the murder who were all wearing high visibility jackets and were of a similar size.

They included a Polish man who later became a suspect in the case, the court heard.

Jurors were also shown a picture of Mrs Edmonds’ Nokia mobile phone which was found discarded in bushes along the Itchen Navigation Riverbank some 13 days after the murder.

It had no battery or SIM card inside the court was told.

Hamlen, 33, of Hamilton Road, Bishopstoke, denies murder.

Proceeding.