Police have described the horrific moment an OAP was brutally "attacked and killed at random" in her home after discovering an intruder, as "terrifying".

Tautrydas Narbutas, 24, was convicted of manslaughter earlier this week after he admitted to killing Marlow Bottom pensioner Albertina Choules in her woodland home before setting her body alight in a “horrific” attack.

Narbutas, who is from Lithuania, denied murdering the 81-year-old, who was hit around the head outside her isolated home in Ragmans Lane, but the prosecution accepted a guilty plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

He also admitted affray after his “abnormal” behaviour at the scene of the crime against two Thames Valley Police officers who responded to Mrs Choules’ 999 call.

Two charges of attempted grievous bodily harm were dropped.

The Italy-born pensioner’s charred body was discovered in her garden at around 6.30am on July 6 last year after she called emergency services for help, after discovering an intruder in her home.

A post mortem found that the cause of death was a blunt trauma head injury.

Shocked neighbours described Mrs Choules as “lovely, peaceful and quiet”.

Narbutas, of no fixed abode, was arrested at the scene and charged with one count of murder on July 12, 2016.

He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter at Reading Crown Court yesterday (Thursday) on grounds of diminished responsibility.

Senior investigating officer Mike Lynch, of the Thames Valley Police Major Crime Unit, said: “This was a horrific incident in which a woman was attacked and killed at random by Narbutas.

“I cannot begin to imagine how terrifying this was for Mrs Choules, or how traumatic this has been for her family.

“Mrs Choules was retired, and lived a peaceful life at her home in Marlow. That came to an end on the day Narbutas entered her property.

“I am pleased that Mrs Choules’ family will now be spared the distress of a trial process, and I hope that they will soon be able to gain a sense of closure following this ordeal.”

Narbutas will be sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday, October 3.