Differing lives of judge's women

Ms Sparrow (left) appeared in court throughout the inquest

There have been contrasts in the fortunes of the two women in Judge Andrew Chubb's life.

His wife Jennifer was a community nurse and Red Cross volunteer who seemed to have it all - wealth, status, and three successful children from a marriage.

Kerry Sparrow, 30 years younger than the judge, was a blonde, single, mother-of-one, working as a legal secretary to support herself and her daughter.

Mrs Chubb was described by neighbours as reserved and businesslike while Ms Sparrow was more down-to-earth and friendly.

Loveless marriage

They had little in common - apart from the fact that they were sharing Andrew Chubb.

After his demise, Mrs Chubb inherited the estate near the quiet Somerset town of Chard and got on with her life.

But Ms Sparrow never accepted the accidental death verdict on her lover, and after months of campaigning for the case to be reinvestigated, detectives arrested Mrs Chubb a year later.

She was never charged.

Ms Sparrow claimed he "loathed" his wife and said he had been trapped in a loveless marriage for 20 years.

By contrast, Mrs Chubb claimed he was being blackmailed by Ms Sparrow and was desperate to end the affair.

First meeting

Judge Chubb first met Ms Sparrow at a party in 1996 in Exeter, where they swapped phone numbers.

Three years later, he rang her up with news of his promotion to judge and said he was buying a property in Portsmouth.

Soon afterwards the lawyer began a relationship with Miss Sparrow.

Ms Sparrow claimed he told her that his "marriage was dead" and he dreaded going home.

She also said they spoke on the phone when he was back in Somerset, even when his wife was at home - because "she was too uninterested in Andrew to be suspicious".

Mr Chubb drove home in July 2001 and told his wife he wanted a divorce.

Less than an hour later he was dead - killed in a fireball in his garden shed.