Wife strangled in triplets row

A man strangled his wife after she threatened to take their three-year-old sons away from him, a court has heard.

Mark Aldrich, 40, is accused of murdering his wife Dilys at their home in Dartford, Kent, in a row over their children, born after IVF treatment.

The jury at Lewes Crown Court was told the 33-year-old victim, who was just 4 ft 8 in tall, did not put up a struggle during the argument.

Mr Aldrich, a recruitment consultant, admits killing his wife but denies murder on the grounds that he did not mean to kill her and was provoked.

Mark Aldrich strangled his wife with his bare hands and did so on the ground floor of their house and left her dead on the kitchen floor Robin Johnson, prosecuting

After her death, he is alleged to have driven with the children to his parents' house in Sussex before confessing to police.

It is alleged he told the police: "My wife was threatening and abusive about my parents and myself.

"She said, 'your parents are never going to see the children again. I'm going to take them away'.

"I lost it and strangled her."

The court heard Mr Aldrich was described by some friends as "introverted and depressed", while his wife was "outgoing and gregarious".

Marriage under strain

Mrs Aldrich had given birth to the children in 1998 after receiving IVF fertility treatment because of a medical condition.

The couple's marriage had come under strain a year later when Mr Aldrich lost his job as a social worker after allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a client.

He was prescribed anti-depressants and saw a psychiatrist, the court heard.

His wife also suffered ill health and her mother, Pamela Spencer, made regular visits to help with chores and the children.

Mrs Spencer said her daughter had become frightened of Mr Aldrich in the last years of their marriage.

Robin Johnson, prosecuting, said: "Mark Aldrich strangled his wife with his bare hands and did so on the ground floor of their house and left her dead on the kitchen floor."

He said a postmortem examination had shown that Mrs Aldrich had died after being gripped round the throat for from one to two minutes.

The trial continues.