A LEEK man currently serving 12 years in prison for causing grievous bodily harm to pensioner Ada Hopkinson is now to be charged with her murder.

Senior lawyers from the Staffordshire Crown Prosecution Service have authorised officers from Staffordshire Police to charge Ben Brough with Mrs Hopkinson's murder.

Mrs Hopkinson, who was 94 at the time of the assault, was discovered on the morning of March 18, 2005, lying in a pool of blood in the hallway of her Leek home, with serious head injuries.

After a four-day trial at Stafford Crown Court Brough was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.

Mrs Hopkins never recovered from the assault and died in February this year, aged 97.

Sue Hanson, senior crown prosecutor for Staffordshire, said: "Brough had previously been charged and convicted in relation to the assault on Ada Hopkinson.

"The new evidence relating to her subsequent death has been considered and it has been decided that there is now sufficient evidence to charge Brough with the murder of Ada Hopkinson.

"A defendant can only be prosecuted for the second time in this way with consent of the Attorney General.

"The file has been submitted to her office and the consent has been given."

Brough, formerly of Shaw Place, Leek, will now appear at North Staffordshire Magistrates' court in connection with the new charge.

Mrs Hopkinson was left with irreversible brain damage following the attack at her home in Shirburn Road in Leek.

She was discovered by her daughter Pat Davis on March 18, 2005.

Mrs Hopkinson died in hospital almost three years after the attack.

Brough, who was 17 at the time of the attack, was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent following a trial in 2006. The jury at Stafford Crown Court cleared Brough of attempted murder and burglary.

During the trial, Brough blamed two other teenagers for assaulting Mrs Hopkinson, and his mother, Carol Brough, continues to insist her son did not carry out the attack.

Following Mrs Hopkinson's death, she said: "I am devastated for Ada's family and I'm devastated for my son. What I do know is that he didn't lay a finger on Ada.

"There were sets of footprints in the house that weren't Ben's."