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Pc given life for fiancee murder | Pc given life for fiancee murder |
(31 minutes later) | |
An ex-Pc has been jailed for life with an 18-year minimum tariff for fatally bludgeoning his fiancee, then pretending she had been in a car crash. | |
Martin Forshaw, 27, of Tottington, Bury, admitted murdering fellow police officer Claire Howarth, 31, with a hammer days before their wedding. | |
Miss Howarth was found badly hurt in the driver's seat of her BMW on 7 May. | Miss Howarth 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, Manchester Crown Court was told. | |
'Brutal killing' | |
The court heard Forshaw hit Miss Howarth at least five times with a lump hammer as they were preparing to fly to St Lucia for their wedding, which had been due to take place five days later. | The court heard Forshaw hit Miss Howarth at least five times with a lump hammer as they were preparing to fly to St Lucia for their wedding, 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 drove around secluded country lanes before accelerating the vehicle into a hedge. | |
Prosecutor Ray Wigglesworth QC said the then Cheshire Police officer dialling 999 and reported the bogus accident. | |
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 |
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. | |
Meanwhile he kept the impending wedding a secret from some of his colleagues. | |
The court was told the Pc was "torn" over his feelings for the two women and told his fiancée the wedding was cancelled before he struck her with the mallet. | |
Jailing him, Justice David Clarke called the murder "a brutal killing". | |
The judge added the ending of the relationship produced the "highest emotions" with "the results we can all see". | |
'Totally implausible' | 'Totally implausible' |
She died at Royal Bolton Hospital. | 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. | 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 this 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. | 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. |