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Pc admits murdering his fiancee | Pc admits murdering his fiancee |
(10 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. | 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 Cheshire Police officer had driven around secluded country lanes in Bury before staging the bogus accident and dialling 999. | |
The couple has been together for 10 months but there was evidence that Forshaw was also still seeing the mother of his four-year-old son at the same time, added the QC. | |
Meanwhile he had kept the impending wedding a secret from some of his colleagues. | |
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. |
'Totally implausible' | |
She died at Royal Bolton Hospital. | |
A post-mortem examination revealed Miss Howarth died as a result of "severe head trauma" and 14 separate injuries to her neck and head. | |
When questioned Forshaw said Miss Howarth had been hit as he tried to defend himself from her attacking him with the mallet, but pathologists said it was "totally implausible." | |
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, who was known at work by his middle name Alex, resigned from Cheshire Police 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. |