By MIRIAM KUEPPER

Published: 12:49 BST, 22 April 2025 | Updated: 12:58 BST, 22 April 2025

A 90-year-old woman has been accused of battering her best friend to death with a saucepan in a row over a melted Magnum ice cream.

The accused killer, named only as Brigitte W., had bickered with her 77-year-old friend Petra B. when the ice creams they had bought on a shopping trip melted on the way home.

Prosecutors in Munich, Germany, say an explosive argument erupted when Petra went to put the ice cream in the freezer and Brigitte W. snapped: ‘Don’t do that.’

The court heard how Brigitte W. smashed her friend ‘forcefully’ over the head three times with a saucepan, knocking her to the kitchen floor, where she died from head injuries.

Prosecutor Simona Muller told the Munich Regional Court that she battered her friend with ‘uncontrollable rage’ as ‘a punishment’ during a summer heatwave on 18th July 2024.

But, the court heard, she waited three days before calling police and paramedics after the magnum force murder, local media reported on 17th April.

She first claimed, say prosecutors, that they had had a fight and when Petra fell to the floor, she was alive and said she wanted to stay there.

Brigitte W. reportedly said: ‘She wanted to sleep on the cool kitchen floor because she was so hot.’

The accused killer, named only as Brigitte W. (pictured in court), had bickered with her 77-year-old friend Petra B. when the ice creams they had bought on a shopping trip melted on the way home

The accused killer, named only as Brigitte W. (pictured in court), had bickered with her 77-year-old friend Petra B. when the ice creams they had bought on a shopping trip melted on the way home

The court in Munich, Germany, heard how Brigitte W. smashed her friend 'forcefully' over the head three times with a saucepan, knocking her to the kitchen floor, where she died from head injuries

The court in Munich, Germany, heard how Brigitte W. smashed her friend ‘forcefully’ over the head three times with a saucepan, knocking her to the kitchen floor, where she died from head injuries

And while Petra’s body was lying on the kitchen floor, her friend calculatedly stripped her blood-stained clothing from her, washed it and hung it up to dry, the court heard.

Prosecutors say the killing came after months of bullying and abuse by Brigitte W., despite the women’s 40-year friendship.

They described Brigitte W. as vindictive and bossy, saying the pair’s frequent arguments were marked with ‘violence and humiliation against the victim’.

Police say that Brigitte W. called the authorities three days after the murder and said: ‘I had a fight with my friend, it turned out badly. Now she’s dead in my apartment.’

They say they were often called to the apartment to resolve violent rows, but Petra remained a loyal friend, often helping Brigitte W. with her shopping.

Judges turned down an application for bail from Brigitte W.’s lawyer Johannes Makepeace, saying that despite her age, she would be a flight risk if she were to be released from jail.

The lawyer reportedly replied: ‘My client is 90 and uses a wheelchair. Where is she supposed to flee?’

The trial is ongoing.

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Woman, 90, ‘batters best friend, 77, to death after argument over a melted Magnum ice cream’

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