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| Sally Challen walks free after judge rules she will not face retrial for killing abusive husband | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Sally Challen, who killed her husband in a hammer attack after decades of emotional abuse, will walk free from court after a judge ordered she should not face a retrial. | Sally Challen, who killed her husband in a hammer attack after decades of emotional abuse, will walk free from court after a judge ordered she should not face a retrial. |
| Challen, 65, was sentenced at the Old Bailey in London to nine years and four months for the manslaughter of her husband, which is time already served. | |
| Challen claimed she suffered years of controlling and humiliating abuse before she killed her husband, Richard, in August 2010. | Challen 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. The court of appeal quashed her conviction in February and ordered a fresh trial 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. The court of appeal quashed her conviction in February and ordered a fresh trial 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. She was due to face a new trial on 1 July, but at a hearing before Mr Justice Edis at the Old Bailey 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. She was due to face a new trial on 1 July, but at a hearing before Mr Justice Edis at the Old Bailey 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. Challen’s son David tweeted: “As a family we are overjoyed at today’s verdict and that it has brought an end to the suffering we have endured together for the past nine years. Our story has become the landmark case society needs to recognise the true severity of coercive control.” | |
| In a victim impact statement read to court, Challen’s other son, James, said: “We have lost a father and we do not seek to justify our mother’s actions.” His mother “does not deserve to be punished further”, he said. | |
| Speaking outside court, Challen said: “I just wanted to say how happy I am and I want to thank my legal team and all my family who stood behind me and stood with me through all of this.” | Speaking outside court, Challen said: “I just wanted to say how happy I am and I want to thank my legal team and all my family who stood behind me and stood with me through all of this.” |
| The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it had accepted her guilty plea to manslaughter. | |
| 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. Sally Challen moved out of the family home in 2009 but she was said to still be 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. Sally Challen moved out of the family home in 2009 but she was said to still be 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 she 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 she 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 shadow equalities minister, Carolyn Harris, said on Friday it was a “landmark case for victims of coercive control”. | The shadow equalities minister, Carolyn Harris, said on Friday it was a “landmark case for victims of coercive control”. |
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