Woman, 91, ‘escapes’ jail after killing pal with saucepan over melted Magnum ice-cream

A 91-year-old woman who battered her 77-year-old friend to death with a cooking pot in an argument about a melted ice lolly has been moved from jail and placed in a psychiatric ward for the remainder of her sentence instead.

The German OAP, referred to only as Brigitte W., was handed a sentence of eight years and three months for manslaughter last year, having been found guilty of killing Petra P. following a row about whether the melted Magnum should be put back in the freezer.

Brigitte W, who was 90 at the time, reportedly told emergency services three days after the killing that “I had an argument with my girlfriend. We were at each other’s throats, and it ended badly. Now she’s lying dead in my apartment.”

A court heard how three days prior, Brigitte W. had bludgeoned Petra to death with a saucepan, leaving her body on the kitchen floor before stripping her blood-stained clothing from her, washing it and hanging it up to dry.

Prosecutors described months of alleged bullying and abuse by Brigitte W., despite the women having been friends for 40 years.

They described Brigitte W. as being vindictive, and said the pair’s arguments were often marked with ‘violence and humiliation against the victim’.

Police were often called to the apartment to resolve these violent rows, however Petra remained a loyal friend, often helping Brigitte W. with household tasks and her shopping.

Brigitte W., from the German city of Munich, had been found fit to stand trial in 2025. However after a dramatic deterioration in health following her sentence, Munich’s Higher Regional Court lifted her arrest warrant, moving the 91-year-old to a secure psychiatric ward instead.

Speaking to German news outlet BILD, a spokesperson for the court said: “The arrest warrant in this case was lifted due to the defendant’s unfitness for detention. We cannot provide any information regarding the defendant’s whereabouts.”

In January this year, the Munich prison where Brigitte W. was being held reportedly stated they could not care for her after she broke her shoulder while behind bars, as they did not have the appropriate staff.

However, no appropriate facility stepped forward to take the woman off their hands after an expert witness argued that her life could be at risk due to the onset of dementia and depression.

Instead, Brigitte has been moved to an undisclosed psychiatric ward for the remainder of her sentence.

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