Violent deaths of couple probed

Post-mortem examinations are to be held on a man who died after driving into a tree, and a woman thought to be his wife, found murdered at their home.

Police initially attended a road crash near West Chiltington, West Sussex, on Sunday night, after a man driving a Smart car struck a tree.

The 66-year-old man was taken to Worthing Hospital where he later died.

Police inquiries led to his home, about half a mile from the crash, where the body of a 63-year-old woman was found.

Officers had to force their way into the large, gated house in Silverwood after noticing a car in the driveway but receiving no reply.

Police found the woman in a pool of blood and are treating her death as murder.

To have such a horrible thing happen on your doorstep is truly numbing Neighbour Eileen Rogers

Officers do not believe anyone else is involved.

Neither bodies are expected to be formally identified until Thursday.

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Hibbert of Sussex Police's Major Crime Branch is leading the investigation, codenamed Operation Armoy.

Neighbour Eileen Rogers said: "It is terrible to think that this has happened just before Christmas.

"To have such a horrible thing happen on your doorstep is truly numbing.

"I can't enjoy Christmas knowing what has happened to this poor woman."