House cleaner who had just $11 in her bank account is found GUILTY of murdering 92-year-old client

A Sydney cleaner who claims she blacked out during the ferocious bashing of her 92-year-old client has been found guilty of murder.

Hanny Papanicolaou admits attacking Marjorie Welsh at her home in Sydney’s inner west on January 2, 2019, but had pleaded not guilty to her murder.

Papanicolaou’s lawyers had argued she was substantially impaired by an abnormality of the mind when she carried out the attack.

But the jury on Wednesday rejected that claim – a partial defence that allows a lesser conviction of manslaughter – finding her guilty of murder.

A trial in the NSW Supreme Court has heard Papanicolaou jumped a back fence and allegedly hit Ms Welsh with her walking sticks so forcefully they broke, and smashed heavy ceramics down upon the defenceless woman.

The elderly woman was also stabbed in the lower chest and abdomen.

She died six weeks later in hospital.

In the lead up to her death on January 2 in 2019, Marjorie Welsh allegedly told police Ms Papanicolaou used to beat her on regular occasions

Papanicolaou had told the trial she had ‘blacked out’ during the attack, and had been suffering from depression at the time.

‘I see Marj … the sound of the (medical alarm) machine makes me open my eyes and get up, I don’t know what I’m doing, just looking in front of Marj in front of the fridge with a lot of blood,’ the 38-year-old said while giving evidence.

‘The blood is in my hands, I was holding the knife.’

Earlier that morning the regular gambler lost $430 from poker machines in under an hour and was left with just $11 in her bank account, the jury has been told.

The Crown argued that Papanicolaou wanted to rob Ms Welsh after learning she had come into $8 million from the sale of a property.

A trial has heard Papanicolaou (pictured) jumped a back fence and allegedly hit Ms Welsh with her walking sticks so forcefully they broke, and smashed heavy ceramics down upon the defenceless woman

It questioned her credibility, pointing out she had admitted lying to police in an interview, and contending she had given detectives significant details she could only know if she had full memory of the event.

It also argued Papanicolaou did not exhibit the mannerisms of someone who was depressed, and had never disclosed her feelings to anyone before the attack.

However, Papanicolaou’s barrister Tom Quilter had rubbished the prosecutor’s theft theory, saying there is ‘simply no evidence’ Papanicolaou actually stole anything despite the jury hearing evidence that cash, a handbag, a ring and an expensive watch were inside the house.

Papanicolaou had never been violent before, he said, and had no motive to attack Ms Welsh, he said.

Papanicolaou will be sentenced at a later date.