An­na-Lisa Paul

Steven Hard­ing died as a re­sult of blunt force trau­ma in­flict­ed by ban­dits dur­ing a rob­bery – and suf­fo­cat­ed to death af­ter ex­pe­ri­enc­ing a heart at­tack as a re­sult of the beat­ing he suf­fered.

Hard­ing, 60, of Green Hill, Diego Mar­tin, was found un­re­spon­sive in his home on Thurs­day morn­ing.

He had been tied up, gagged and his head duct-taped by the ban­dits, who took the keys to his shop, which is at the front of the fam­i­ly prop­er­ty.

The shop­keep­er, who op­er­at­ed a small par­lour, was found in his bed­room by a male rel­a­tive around 2.15 am.

Hard­ing had been robbed sev­en times last year.

Rel­a­tives be­lieve the ban­dits were af­ter mon­ey Hard­ing had in the par­lour.