Maureen Cosgrove’s family have described the 12-year sentence for their mother’s killer as “too lenient”.

During sentencing, Judge Jeremy Roberts QC, said he passed the “unusually low” sentence, because it was clear Mr Maben was “generally a kind and caring person” and the offence was the result of “a very unusual set of circumstances”.

Speaking exclusively to the Sutton Guardian, Mrs Cosgrove’s eldest son John Cosgrove, 43, said the family was disappointed by the sentence.

He said: “Our mother was 65 and we could have expected her to live for another 15 or 16 years with us, so from that respect it was too lenient.

“However, what upset us the most was the judge’s words that he was a “kind and caring” individual.

“We feel no sympathy for him; he said he was nagged when he lived in the house, but the guy was living there free of charge, doing nothing to contribute.

“We all might have problems with parents of our partners, but we don’t go and kill them as a result.

“What he did was callous. It was a selfish and evil act.”

Mr Cosgrove said the family would continue to support Mrs Rees and prepares for the first Christmas without their mother.

He said: “We have always managed to keep the unity between us. It was the way we were brought up.”

Detective Chief Inspector John McFarlane, who led the investigation, said he would be liaising with the prosecutor to see if an appeal against the sentence could be made.

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