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Pianist Natalia Strelchenko's husband jailed for life for her murder Pianist Natalia Strelchenko's husband jailed for life for her murder
(about 2 hours later)
The husband of the concert pianist Natalia Strelchenko has been jailed for life for murdering her on their second wedding anniversary. He will serve a minimum of 17 years in prison. A classical musician who resented and tried to control his successful wife – the world-renowned concert pianist Natalia Strelchenko – has been jailed for life for murdering her on their second wedding anniversary.
Jailing him at Manchester crown court for life with a minimum term of 17 years, following time spent in custody, Mrs Justice Laura Cox told the defendant that it had been a “brutal, sustained and unprovoked attack”. John Martin shook his head and appeared to say “no” as the judge sentenced him to a minimum of 17 years for the “brutal, sustained and unprovoked attack” on his wife.
Strelchenko, 38, who used the stage surname Strelle, died shortly after being assaulted in her home by John Martin in August last year.
Related: Natalia Strelchenko: from child prodigy to murdered wifeRelated: Natalia Strelchenko: from child prodigy to murdered wife
The Norwegian pianist of Russian origin had performed at prestigious venues all over the world, including the Wigmore Hall in London, Carnegie Hall in New York and the Französischer Dom in Berlin. Strelchenko, who used the stage surname of Strelle, was at the “peak of her powers” when she was murdered by her jealous and controlling husband at their Greater Manchester home in August last year.
Martin, a far less successful musician, was jealous of her and made the last few months of her life miserable. Also known as Jon Skogsbakken, he stifled Strelchenko, wanting her to be more domesticated; to tidy their house and be a “good wife”.
At times, Martin, who had been married twice before, would attack Strelchenko, throttling her on a bed, strangling her in a car and telling her he wanted to kill her. When they discovered Strelchenko was pregnant, he forced her to have an abortion.
Afraid of what Martin would do to her, Strelchenko had planned her escape; she was due to take up her old post as assistant professor at the Conservatoire of Belfort in France, with no plans to return to Martin.
But just days before she was due to leave, their tumultuous relationship exploded, and Martin attacked her for the last time.
Martin, 48, was found guilty of her murder after a three-week trial. He was cleared of the attempted murder of a youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons.Martin, 48, was found guilty of her murder after a three-week trial. He was cleared of the attempted murder of a youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Mrs Justice Cox said that Martin had intended to kill the pianist in what she described as a “prolonged and ferocious attack”. Sentencing him at Manchester crown court for life, Mrs Justice Laura Cox said Martin had intended to kill the pianist in what she described as a “prolonged and ferocious attack”.
“On all the evidence I have heard I am satisfied that this attack occurred against a background of controlling and sometimes aggressive behaviour by you. “This attack occurred against a background of controlling and sometimes aggressive behaviour by you. You came to resent her success and her friendships with those she met. I am satisfied on the evidence that you were jealous of her being the focus of attention and praise and of her meeting other people when she was working away from home.”
“But the evidence shows that you came to resent her success and her friendships with those she met. I am satisfied on the evidence that you were jealous of her being the focus of attention and praise and of her meeting other people when she was working away from home.” On 30 August last year Strelchenko was beaten and strangled to death after being thrown down a flight of stairs at the couple’s home in Newton Heath, Greater Manchester. She had suffered 71 separate injuries including her jaw being snapped in half.
Martin, a double bass player who also performed at high-profile venues globally, had denied killing his wife. Addressing Martin, Cox said: “Natalia Strelle was an extremely talented musician and pianist, completely consumed by her art, unaware of and uninterested in domesticity and practical matters and focused on developing her international music career.
At 1am on Sunday 30 August last year, Strelchenko was found with severe head and neck injuries at the couple’s home. “I have no doubt that this made her, on occasions, difficult to live with. But her family and friends made allowance for her artistic temperament, and provided her with encouragement and support. You, by contrast, became increasingly irritated, frustrated and resentful and you sought to undermine her confidence and to control her.”
The jury heard that in the months and weeks leading up to her death the couple had frequently argued, sometimes in public, with Strelchenko’s friends becoming increasingly concerned. On 27 August last year Strelchenko’s friend and occasional music partner, Justyna Zanko, arrived to stay with the couple and said she heard them arguing several times.
A month before her death, Martin had thrown Strelchenko out of their home. Police were called during the dispute over a mobile phone bill. Strelchenko did not return to the house and instead went on a music course. Martin then contacted her friends saying he wanted her back. The Polish violinist and Strelchenko spent the day before the latter’s death recording songs at Chetham’s School of Music. On returning to the house for dinner they were confronted by an irritable Martin.
The jury heard that Strelchenko’s former husband tried to persuade her not to go back to Martin and instead live in a flat she owned in Belfort, France. She was due to return to a job in the country on 7 September 2015. The day after, Zanko said, Martin repeatedly lost his temper about various matters, including what they were eating for dinner and the general cleanliness of the house, while drinking cider and wine. He then disappeared for a few hours before returning to the house just before midnight and attacking Strelchenko.
Strelchenko eventually moved back to the Newton Heath property but tension between the couple continued to grow. Friends said the couple, who married in Norway in 2013, would argue two to three times a day. Zanko said she was woken by her friend’s screams and pleas for help just before she was murdered.
On 27 August, a Polish violinist friend of Strelchenko’s came to visit and the two recorded songs together. Martin grew angry and contacted a family friend “upset and angry” that she had invited other musicians to their home. Martin “flew at Natalia like an animal” and threw himself and Strelchenko down the stairs. He sat on top of his wife and began to repeatedly punch her in the face before strangling her.
On 29 August, the couple argued again after Strelchenko advertised their family home on a property exchange website, with Martin becoming “anxious” and “distracted”. That night, Martin disappeared from the house for a number of hours and on his return just before midnight was in a “threatening mood”. Martin stopped his assault momentarily and looked up at Zanko, saying: “I want to kill her.”
The court heard that the Polish violinist saw Martin throw her and himself down the stairs, before strangling her. The friend fled the property and called the emergency services while Martin continued to beat Strelchenko. Zanko fled from the house and called the emergency services while the attack continued. Officers found Strelchenko lying unconscious near the stairs.
The following day, Martin was arrested for murder but he said he could not remember attacking his wife. Throughout his trial Martin denied murder and manslaughter but accepted that he “must be the man behind it”.The following day, Martin was arrested for murder but he said he could not remember attacking his wife. Throughout his trial Martin denied murder and manslaughter but accepted that he “must be the man behind it”.
He had claimed that he had been suffering from depression and had taken drugs and alcohol on the night of her death which had caused aggression and subsequent memory loss.He had claimed that he had been suffering from depression and had taken drugs and alcohol on the night of her death which had caused aggression and subsequent memory loss.
Jurors were told that Martin had mistakenly used diazepam in place of his anti-depressant medication for around six weeks prior to the incident. A statement read outside court on behalf of Strelchenko’s sister Julia said: “Natalia was much loved by all her family and friends and Natalia was a loving mother to her son. She was extremely talented with much life ahead of her.
He claimed the mix of alcohol and drugs had impaired his ability to form a rational judgment, and disabled his ability to exercise self-control and understand the nature of his acts leading to him attacking his wife. “She was taken from us in August in completely unnecessary circumstances. We cannot express how devastated we are that her life has been stolen from her. We miss Natalia every minute of every day. We can try to repair our heartache although no matter how long the sentence is, it will not bring Natalia back or make our loss any easier.”
But prosecutors said that “controlling” and “volatile” Martin had tried to “camouflage his guilt” in claiming that he could not remember the events surrounding Strelchenko’s death.
Strelchenko met Martin when she moved to the UK and the couple lived together in Newton Heath, Greater Manchester. They had been together for about six years, but their relationship was described as tumultuous.
The trial heard he was jealous of her successful career.
In September 2013 Martin was jailed in Norway for threatening to kill Strelchenko. He spent 60 days in an Oslo prison after attacking his wife on two separate occasions. He tried to suffocate and strangle her while making threats to kill her.
Prosecutor Robert Hall told the trial that Martin sometimes physically restrained Strelchenko to prevent her leaving the house. “Natalia complained he controlled her and was very jealous – made worse by the fact her career had taken off, while his had not.
“They would also argue regularly about financial affairs. Those arguments and tensions would on occasion reach a high level. Often, once the heat of the arguments had died down, what would follow would be apologies from this defendant.”
David Harley, the senior Crown prosecutor from Crown Prosecution Service North West, described it as an “appalling crime”.