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| Surrey wife 'killed Richard Challen with hammer' | Surrey wife 'killed Richard Challen with hammer' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A wife who suspected her husband of infidelity bludgeoned him to death and later said: "If I can't have him, no-one can," a court has heard. | A wife who suspected her husband of infidelity bludgeoned him to death and later said: "If I can't have him, no-one can," a court has heard. |
| The body of Richard Challen, 61, the retired owner of a car dealership in Richmond, was found in Claygate, near Esher in Surrey, in August 2010. | The body of Richard Challen, 61, the retired owner of a car dealership in Richmond, was found in Claygate, near Esher in Surrey, in August 2010. |
| Georgina Challen, 56, an office manager from Claygate, is accused of attacking him with a hammer as he ate lunch. | Georgina Challen, 56, an office manager from Claygate, is accused of attacking him with a hammer as he ate lunch. |
| Mrs Challen, who is known as Sally, denies murder at Guildford Crown Court. | Mrs Challen, who is known as Sally, denies murder at Guildford Crown Court. |
| 'Boiled into rage' | |
| Jurors heard the couple, who had two sons, had been living apart and were attempting to patch up their marriage. | Jurors heard the couple, who had two sons, had been living apart and were attempting to patch up their marriage. |
| Mrs Challen was convinced her husband's efforts were a "ruse" and that he was having an affair, the court heard. | Mrs Challen was convinced her husband's efforts were a "ruse" and that he was having an affair, the court heard. |
| On 14 August, her "anger boiled into rage" and she set upon Mr Challen at the house they once shared, the jury was told. | On 14 August, her "anger boiled into rage" and she set upon Mr Challen at the house they once shared, the jury was told. |
| Mrs Challen later drafted a suicide note before driving 70 miles from her home to Beachy Head, in East Sussex, where she called a relative to say she was "going to jump". | Mrs Challen later drafted a suicide note before driving 70 miles from her home to Beachy Head, in East Sussex, where she called a relative to say she was "going to jump". |
| Prosecutor Caroline Carberry told the jury how the couple had been married for 31 years when Mrs Challen arrived at Ruxley Ridge with a hammer in her handbag. | Prosecutor Caroline Carberry told the jury how the couple had been married for 31 years when Mrs Challen arrived at Ruxley Ridge with a hammer in her handbag. |
| Mrs Challen dialled 1471 to find out who her husband might recently have telephoned. | |
| 'Extreme ferocity' | 'Extreme ferocity' |
| When she dialled the number, she heard a female voice and was consumed by "jealousy and suspicion", the court was told. | When she dialled the number, she heard a female voice and was consumed by "jealousy and suspicion", the court was told. |
| Ms Carberry said Mrs Challen made her husband lunch and as he ate she attacked him with the hammer with "extreme ferocity". | Ms Carberry said Mrs Challen made her husband lunch and as he ate she attacked him with the hammer with "extreme ferocity". |
| The next day, Mrs Challen made her way to Beachy Head, from where she called her cousin to admit the killing, jurors heard. | The next day, Mrs Challen made her way to Beachy Head, from where she called her cousin to admit the killing, jurors heard. |
| When a suicide team and chaplain were dispatched to the cliff top, she repeated the admission and said she was "certain" her husband was dead. | When a suicide team and chaplain were dispatched to the cliff top, she repeated the admission and said she was "certain" her husband was dead. |
| "When asked how it happened, she said: 'I killed him with a hammer. I hit him lots of times'," the prosecutor said. | "When asked how it happened, she said: 'I killed him with a hammer. I hit him lots of times'," the prosecutor said. |
| "She added: 'If I can't have him, no-one can'." | "She added: 'If I can't have him, no-one can'." |
| Police later found the 61-year-old's body on the kitchen floor covered in blankets. A hand-written note placed upon it read: "I love you, Sally." | Police later found the 61-year-old's body on the kitchen floor covered in blankets. A hand-written note placed upon it read: "I love you, Sally." |
| A post-mortem examination found Mr Challen died of "severe blunt force trauma to the head". | A post-mortem examination found Mr Challen died of "severe blunt force trauma to the head". |
| Mrs Challen will claim that she was suffering from "diminished responsibility" at the time of the killing, the court was told. | |
| Jurors heard she will claim she was suffering from "an abnormality of mind" which "substantially impaired her responsibility for her actions". | |
| The trial is expected to last two weeks. |