Husband guilty of murdering wife

John Walker was found guilty of murdering his wife at their home

A man from Suffolk has been found guilty of murdering his wife of 40 years with a shotgun.

John Walker, 66, killed his wife Glenda, 63, at their home at Great Bealings, near Woodbridge, in November 2002.

Walker, who denied murder, claimed manslaughter because of diminished responsibility.

But on Friday a jury at Ipswich Crown Court convicted him of murder and he was jailed for a minimum of 14 years.

The court heard that Walker had shot his wife as she ate her breakfast after she "goaded" him, "gloated", and "sneered" at him.

The couple had been living separate lives in Meadow Cottage

It took the jury of seven women and four men sitting at Ipswich Crown Court one-and-a-half hours to reject Walker's not guilty plea and convict him of one count of murder.

Judge John Devaux told Walker that he was an utterly selfish man who, in killing his wife, gave no thought to his children and grandchildren.

"You emerged as a hypocritical, deceitful and cold-hearted man," he said.

'Extent of deception'

Sentencing Walker to a minimum jail term of 14 years, Judge Devaux told him: "Throughout your marriage you regarded yourself as intellectually superior to your wife and were demeaning towards her."

He said that following an agreement in February 2002 not to "speak to, seek out, see or communicate with the other woman in any way", Walker had bought himself a mobile phone for the sole purpose of remaining in contact with her.

"Small wonder when your wife discovered the speed and extent of your deception she decided reluctantly to divorce you."

He told Walker that throughout the trial he had tried to blacken the name of his wife and blame her for the events that culminated in her death.

Couple divorcing

Grey-haired Walker, who was wearing a grey suit and burgundy tie, bowed his head slightly in the dock as the verdict was read to the court.

Earlier the court was told that the couple were in the throes of a divorce.

They heard they had been living separate lives following Walker's affair with a woman now in her 70s, whom he had met in a dancing class.

Walker told the court he met his future wife when she was working as a cook at his college and she was his first girlfriend.

They began married life in Dartford, Kent, and moved to Suffolk 30 years ago.