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| Pc admits murdering his fiancee | Pc admits murdering his fiancee |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| An ex-policeman has pleaded guilty to murdering his police constable fiancee by bludgeoning her with a hammer before staging a bogus car crash. | An ex-policeman has pleaded guilty to murdering his police constable fiancee by bludgeoning her with a hammer before staging a bogus car crash. |
| Martin Forshaw, 27, of Tottington, Bury, admitted killing Claire Howarth, 31, days before their wedding as he appeared at Manchester Crown Court. | |
| Miss Howarth, a Greater Manchester police officer, was found badly hurt in the driver's seat of her BMW on 7 May. | Miss Howarth, a Greater Manchester police officer, was found badly hurt in the driver's seat of her BMW on 7 May. |
| Forshaw had put her injured body into the car and caused it to crash. | Forshaw had put her injured body into the car and caused it to crash. |
| The court heard Forshaw attacked his girlfriend at least five times with a lump hammer as they were preparing to fly out for their wedding in St Lucia, which had been due to take place five days later. | The court heard Forshaw attacked his girlfriend at least five times with a lump hammer as they were preparing to fly out for their wedding in St Lucia, which had been due to take place five days later. |
| He then carried her downstairs at their home, put her into the driver's seat of the car and accelerated the vehicle into a hedge. | He then carried her downstairs at their home, put her into the driver's seat of the car and accelerated the vehicle into a hedge. |
| At the scene, Forshaw told the emergency services his fiancee had not been wearing a seatbelt. | At the scene, Forshaw told the emergency services his fiancee had not been wearing a seatbelt. |
| Miss Howarth's BMW was found crashed into a hedge near their home | Miss Howarth's BMW was found crashed into a hedge near their home |
| Prosecutor Ray Wigglesworth QC said the then police officer had driven around secluded country lanes in Bury before staging the bogus accident and dialling 999. | Prosecutor Ray Wigglesworth QC said the then police officer had driven around secluded country lanes in Bury before staging the bogus accident and dialling 999. |
| Detectives cordoned off the pair's home after Miss Howarth's silver BMW left the road. | Detectives cordoned off the pair's home after Miss Howarth's silver BMW left the road. |
| She was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital with severe head injuries and died there later. | She was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital with severe head injuries and died there later. |
| Police started a murder investigation, suspecting she had been attacked before the crash. | Police started a murder investigation, suspecting she had been attacked before the crash. |
| A post-mortem examination revealed Miss Howarth died as a result of "severe head trauma". | A post-mortem examination revealed Miss Howarth died as a result of "severe head trauma". |
| She had been due to take up a position as a community beat manager in Rochdale after completing her probationary period. | She had been due to take up a position as a community beat manager in Rochdale after completing her probationary period. |
| Forshaw, an officer with Cheshire Police who was known at work by his middle name Alex, resigned from the force when he was charged with Miss Howarth's murder. | Forshaw, an officer with Cheshire Police who was known at work by his middle name Alex, resigned from the force when he was charged with Miss Howarth's murder. |
| He had joined in 2003 and was initially stationed at Macclesfield, before transferring to the operational support team at the force's headquarters in Winsford. | He had joined in 2003 and was initially stationed at Macclesfield, before transferring to the operational support team at the force's headquarters in Winsford. |