Wife strangled with dog lead

A 55-year-old man from Leicester has been jailed for three years for strangling his wife to death with a dog lead.

Leicester Crown Court heard that Philip McNulty flew into a rage after reading a text message which made him believe she was having an affair.

The court was told Philip and Yvonne McNulty's 30-year marriage was under stress at the time of the attack at their home in Narborough, Leicestershire, on 9 May 2002.

McNulty became upset after finding a message that read: "Good morning, my darling. I feel like I have just won the Lottery. I love you very much."

Took overdose

He later found out the text message had been sent to the wrong person.

McNulty stabbed his wife in the back, throttled her with a dog leash and left her body lying in their hallway for up to 15 hours.

McNulty was acutely ill and in an extremely distressed state Michael Pert, QC

He later took an overdose and was discovered embracing his victim on the floor after phoning a relative and confessing: "I think I've killed her."

He pleaded guilty on Tuesday at Leicester Crown Court to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

When later questioned he said could remember nothing between reading the text-message and seeing the lights of the emergency services.

Michael Pert QC, defending, said on the day of the incident Mrs McNulty had announced she was leaving and moving to a new home.

He added that McNulty had been "acutely ill" and in "an extremely abnormal state" and doctors had confirmed his claims of suffering from amnesia.

Judge Michael Stokes told McNulty he accepted he was ill at the time but said the tragedy still should never have happened.