A 20-year-old has today been found guilty of murdering his "defenceless" 91-year-old grandfather at his Launceston home.
Stephen Lang, stood trial this week, accused of the murder of his grandfather Thomas Lang in the early hours of April 17 last year.
It was alleged that he broke the pensioner's neck before stealing cash he kept in a wallet under his pillow.
Following the verdict, Senior Investigating Officer, DI Stuart Ellis, said: "This was a terrible crime committed on a defenceless 91-year-old man by his grandson.
"Stephen Lang grabbed Tom by the throat in his sheltered accommodation flat, lifted him out of his chair and threw him to the floor.
"He then stole £300 from his grandfather's wallet which was hidden under his pillow before leaving him for dead on the floor."
"Sadly Tom died three days later from his injuries.
"The crime is made all the more tragic as Stephen Lang appeared to have a close relationship with his grandfather and the incident has had a devastating effect on the whole of the family.
"I cannot begin to understand Stephen Lang's motivation for this crime, but the fact that he could inflict these injuries on his own grandfather is truly shocking."
In a statement released following his conviction, Mr Lang's family said they were "pleased" with the guilty verdict but "deeply saddened by what has happened".
"Tom Lang was a loving granddad and dad and was very close to his large family," they said.
"The fact that he was killed by his grandson Stephen, who had a good relationship with Tom, has devastated us as a family.
"Stephen had no reason to kill his grandfather who would have gladly given him money had he asked for it.
"We will never get over the death of Tom but as a family now Stephen has been found guilty we can begin to rebuild our lives and move on.
"We would like to thank the police and the Crown Prosecution Service for their hard work in bringing this case to court.
"We would also like to thank all of our family members and friends who have supported us over the past 12 months."
Lang will be sentenced tomorrow (Friday) morning.
