A grandmother who was found tied and beaten to death in her northwest Sydney home in 2011 was likely not killed by an intruder, a coroner has found.
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Lynette Bradbury, 52, was on October 31, 2011 found lying face down in a bedroom of her Oatlands home, which she shared with husband Brian.
Her arms and ankles were tied with silver duct tape. Her head was covered with a black towel sourced from the house.
An autopsy later found Mrs Bradbury had a depressed skull fracture and extensive bruising, consistent with significant force from a blunt instrument.
A dumbbell-shaped weight was found in the bedroom and NSW state coroner Teresa O'Sullivan, in findings handed down on Wednesday from a three-day inquest in June 2019, said it was likely the murder weapon.
Ms O'Sullivan also found an attempt had been made to stage a robbery of the Bradbury home but no robbery had taken place.
In the final hours of her life, Mrs Bradbury returned home from her job at Westmead Hospital about 4:20pm, with Mr Bradbury in the house at the time.
Mr Bradbury also worked at the hospital and arrived for a shift about 4:45pm before returning home before 11:30pm.
Ms O'Sullivan said the killing took place at 6:30pm at the latest.
"The evidence suggests Mrs Bradbury was killed around seven to eight hours earlier than 11:32pm - the time when ambulance officers examined her body," Ms O'Sullivan said in her findings.
The coroner also found there was insufficient evidence to suggest Mrs Bradbury was killed by an intruder or intruders.
A person was in July 2013 charged with Mrs Bradbury's murder but the prosecution of the person was terminated in October 2014.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in January 2020 confirmed criminal proceedings would not recommence against the person.
Australian Associated Press
