A homeless man with paranoid schizophrenia has been found guilty of strangling to death a “caring” Mormon grandmother.

Wimbledon Times:

Scene: Chilworth Court, Windlesham Grove, Southfields

Felix Gutierrez-Cortez, 34, a habitual visitor to Clapham Junction station, had been invited into the home of 61-year-old Anna Maria Thomas in June 2013.

It was intended he would act as a carer, gain shelter and Ms Thomas could avoid the bedroom tax.

The pair attended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and been regularly visited at home by missionaries.

On December 10, 2013, Gutierrez-Cortez called an ambulance to the flat in Chilworth Court, Windlesham Grove, Southfields, where paramedics found Ms Thomas dead and her body decomposing.

Ms Thomas was found on the floor in her bedroom, covered by a pink duvet, with a pillow under her head.

The court heard Ms Thomas had been to church and gone shopping on the day of her death, Sunday, December 8. Three days later, on Tuesday, Gutierrez-Cortez called 999.

Emergency services found a blood-soaked pillow and Ms Thomas’s eyes were bulging out of her swollen face.

The trial lasted just two-and-a-half days, Gutierrez-Cortez did not give evidence and the defence did not call anyone to give evidence.

Today the jury found Gutierrez-Cortez guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility and he is due to be sentenced on Friday, April 24.

Prosecuting David Howker QC said today: "The fact is members of the jury Ms Thomas suffered classic strangulation injuries that required severe force.

The mother-of-one had lived on the estate, on the edge of Wimbledon Common, for about 40 years

"There is no other person in reality that has been suggested as being responsible. Everything points to that being the time of death, him being home and there being no other candidate.

"It won’t take a great deal for a big man like Mr Cortez to subdue by strangulation Ms Thomas."

Defending, Kieran Vaughan QC referred to evidence from the pathologist that Ms Thomas probably died of neck compression but emphasised the fact he could not rule out the possibility of Ms Thomas dying of natural causes and the injuries occurring after death.

He added: "If the pathologist, the all-important witness in the case, is not in a position to be certain or be sure how can you possibly be certain or sure?"

He said actions Cortez took after her death showed he was caring for her and trying to help by changing her pillows and laying a duvet over her.

A post-mortem examination found that Ms Thomas had died as a result of strangulation or rupture of the windpipe.

After his arrest Gutierrez-Cortez was sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Investigating officer Detective Inspector Andy Rees said: "I am very grateful to the friends and neighbours of Anna Maria who assisted officers with their enquiries.

"Our investigations demonstrated that she was a caring mother and grandmother and a deeply religious woman with a wide circle of friends who will miss her deeply - I hope the conviction today provides them with a measure of comfort."