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| Former Ukip councillor guilty of wife's murder | Former Ukip councillor guilty of wife's murder |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A former Ukip councillor has been found guilty of the murder of his wife months after he had an affair with their son’s partner. | A former Ukip councillor has been found guilty of the murder of his wife months after he had an affair with their son’s partner. |
| Stephen Searle, 64, of Stowmarket, claimed his 62-year-old wife, Anne Searle, attacked him with a knife and that he defended himself, but jurors at Ipswich crown court found him guilty of her murder, after three-and-a-half hours of discussion. | Stephen Searle, 64, of Stowmarket, claimed his 62-year-old wife, Anne Searle, attacked him with a knife and that he defended himself, but jurors at Ipswich crown court found him guilty of her murder, after three-and-a-half hours of discussion. |
| Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, said Searle, a former Royal Marine, had probably placed his wife in a choke-hold, a move he knew about from his military training | Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, said Searle, a former Royal Marine, had probably placed his wife in a choke-hold, a move he knew about from his military training |
| Searle showed no reaction as the verdict was read out on Tuesday following a six-day trial. | Searle showed no reaction as the verdict was read out on Tuesday following a six-day trial. |
| Jackson told the trial that the Searles’ marriage had been under strain following Anne Searle’s discovery of her husband’s affair with Anastasia Pomiateeva, the partner of their son Gary and mother to one of their grandchildren. | Jackson told the trial that the Searles’ marriage had been under strain following Anne Searle’s discovery of her husband’s affair with Anastasia Pomiateeva, the partner of their son Gary and mother to one of their grandchildren. |
| This was discovered around June 2017, he said. In a 999 call made on 30 December last year and played to jurors, Searle told police: “I’ve just killed my wife.” | This was discovered around June 2017, he said. In a 999 call made on 30 December last year and played to jurors, Searle told police: “I’ve just killed my wife.” |
| Officers attended their home in Stowmarket, Suffolk, within minutes of the call made at 10.19pm, and found Anne Searle dead. | Officers attended their home in Stowmarket, Suffolk, within minutes of the call made at 10.19pm, and found Anne Searle dead. |
| “The prosecution case is that on that Saturday night there had probably been yet another row between the two of them and in anger the defendant strangled his wife to death,” Jackson said. | “The prosecution case is that on that Saturday night there had probably been yet another row between the two of them and in anger the defendant strangled his wife to death,” Jackson said. |
| A postmortem examination recorded that she had died of compression of the neck. | A postmortem examination recorded that she had died of compression of the neck. |
| Benjamin Swift, a forensic pathologist, said she would have lost consciousness after about eight to 15 seconds of pressure being applied to her neck; death required further sustained pressure for a period of minutes. | Benjamin Swift, a forensic pathologist, said she would have lost consciousness after about eight to 15 seconds of pressure being applied to her neck; death required further sustained pressure for a period of minutes. |
| Searle had been married to her for 45 years and they had three sons together. He stood for Ukip in the Suffolk county council elections, securing a seat for Stowmarket South from May 2013 until 2017. | Searle had been married to her for 45 years and they had three sons together. He stood for Ukip in the Suffolk county council elections, securing a seat for Stowmarket South from May 2013 until 2017. |
| Jackson said that during Christmas 2017 Anne Searle wrote on Facebook: “Happy Christmas to you all. Hope you are doing well. Have a good day. I hope I will still be here in 2018. We will see.” | Jackson said that during Christmas 2017 Anne Searle wrote on Facebook: “Happy Christmas to you all. Hope you are doing well. Have a good day. I hope I will still be here in 2018. We will see.” |
| In a victim impact statement, one of Searle’s sons, also called Stephen Searle, said: “Not only have I lost my mum, but because of what he’s done I’ve lost my dad too.” | |
| Searle is to be sentenced at Ipswich crown court on Wednesday. | |
| Transcript of 999 call | |
| Call handler: “Hello, can you hear me? | |
| Searle: “Yeah, I can hear you, can you hear me?” | |
| CH: “Yep.” | |
| S: “I’ve er... just killed my wife” | |
| CH:”You’ve just killed your wife.” | |
| S: “Yeah.” | |
| CH: “Okay.” | |
| S: “Bit different for you tonight I expect ... Happy New Year.” | |
| CH: “... and how have you killed her?” | |
| S: “Erm ... suffocation really, I guess. Bit of a bizarre situation but you know ... never mind. | |
| CH: “Okay, is it just the two of you in the house?” | |
| S: “Er ... well just the one of us now.” | |
| CH: “Right, okay.” | |
| S: “Well two ... if you like.” | |
| CH: “Okay, is there any other sort of issues that the officers need to be aware of when they come into the house? Is there anything dangerous?” | |
| S: “Erm, not really. I’m not violent, I’m not nothing.” | |
| CH: “Stephen, can I just get you to go and answer the door? I believe we should have some officers there. Are you able to just go and speak to them?” | |
| S: “Okay, they’re here now, are they?” | |
| CH: “They should be there.” | |
| S: “All right, I’m on me way.” | |
| CH: “Okay.” | |
| S: “I’m on me way as we speak ... ah, hello buddies! How are you, alright?” | |
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