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| Sally Challen will not face retrial for killing abusive husband | Sally Challen will not face retrial for killing abusive husband |
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| Sally Challen, who killed her husband in a hammer attack after decades of emotional abuse, has had her murder conviction reduced to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. | |
| Challen, 65, claimed she suffered years of controlling and humiliating abuse before she killed her husband, Richard, in August 2010. | |
| She was jailed for life for murder after a trial at Guildford crown court in 2011. In February at the court of appeal in London her conviction was quashed and a new trial was ordered in light of new evidence about her mental state at the time of the killing. | She was jailed for life for murder after a trial at Guildford crown court in 2011. In February at the court of appeal in London her conviction was quashed and a new trial was ordered in light of new evidence about her mental state at the time of the killing. |
| Challen, of Claygate, Surrey, admitted manslaughter but pleaded not guilty to murder and was due to face a fresh trial on 1 July. But at a hearing before Mr Justice Edis at the Old Bailey in London on Friday the prosecution said the crown accepted her plea to the lesser charge. | Challen, of Claygate, Surrey, admitted manslaughter but pleaded not guilty to murder and was due to face a fresh trial on 1 July. But at a hearing before Mr Justice Edis at the Old Bailey in London on Friday the prosecution said the crown accepted her plea to the lesser charge. |
| The decision means there will be no new trial, to the delight of Challen’s family and supporters. Her son David tweeted that the family was “overjoyed” and said the decision brought an end to “the suffering we have endured together for the past nine years”. | The decision means there will be no new trial, to the delight of Challen’s family and supporters. Her son David tweeted that the family was “overjoyed” and said the decision brought an end to “the suffering we have endured together for the past nine years”. |
| As a family we are overjoyed at todays verdict and that it has brought an end to the suffering we have endured together for the past 9 years.Our story has become the landmark case society needs to recognise the true severity of coercive control.#SallyChallen#CoerciveControl | As a family we are overjoyed at todays verdict and that it has brought an end to the suffering we have endured together for the past 9 years.Our story has become the landmark case society needs to recognise the true severity of coercive control.#SallyChallen#CoerciveControl |
| In a victim impact statement read to court, her other son, James, said: “We have lost a father and we do not seek to justify our mother’s actions.” But he said his mother “does not deserve to be punished further”. | |
| The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it had accepted Challen’s guilty plea to manslaughter. Challen will be sentenced at the Old Bailey later on Friday. | The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it had accepted Challen’s guilty plea to manslaughter. Challen will be sentenced at the Old Bailey later on Friday. |
| The prospect of a retrial was seen as a key test of new laws on domestic abuse and coercive control. Challen is said to have been emotionally abused by her husband throughout their marriage. The family, including her two sons, say Richard Challen subjected his wife to decades of psychological abuse, referred to as coercive control under laws introduced in 2015. | The prospect of a retrial was seen as a key test of new laws on domestic abuse and coercive control. Challen is said to have been emotionally abused by her husband throughout their marriage. The family, including her two sons, say Richard Challen subjected his wife to decades of psychological abuse, referred to as coercive control under laws introduced in 2015. |
| Richard Challen was unfaithful throughout the marriage and frequently visited brothels. In 2009 Sally Challen moved out of the family home but she was said to be still emotionally dependent on her husband. When she discovered he had contacted another woman, she hit him more than 20 times with a hammer. | Richard Challen was unfaithful throughout the marriage and frequently visited brothels. In 2009 Sally Challen moved out of the family home but she was said to be still emotionally dependent on her husband. When she discovered he had contacted another woman, she hit him more than 20 times with a hammer. |
| The appeal court was told that Sally Challen had two mental disorders at the time of the killing, and that her condition was likely to have been made worse by her husband’s coercive control. | The appeal court was told that Sally Challen had two mental disorders at the time of the killing, and that her condition was likely to have been made worse by her husband’s coercive control. |
| Challen admitted killing her 61-year-old husband but denied murder, claiming diminished responsibility. | Challen admitted killing her 61-year-old husband but denied murder, claiming diminished responsibility. |
| The shadow equalities minister, Carolyn Harris, said on Friday it was “landmark case for victims of coercive control”. | The shadow equalities minister, Carolyn Harris, said on Friday it was “landmark case for victims of coercive control”. |
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