Murder accused 'compelled to lie'

Mr Chenery-Wickens said his wife had a secret plan to disappear

A spiritualist minister callously killed his wife and lied about it before blackening her character, jurors at Lewes Crown Court have heard.

David Chenery-Wickens, 45, of Duddleswell, East Sussex, denies murdering his wife and dumping her body in woodland in January last year.

Prosecutor Philip Katz QC said the defendant had a "switch" compelling him to lie when he could tell the truth.

Mr Chenery-Wickens has claimed his wife Diane, 48, had planned to disappear.

He has told the court she wanted to escape the worries she had about her finances and work.

'Blood-stained rings'

But Mr Katz said: "The prosecution say that this defendant intentionally killed his wife, that he then dumped her body clumsily and went on to tell a lot of lies to the whole world."

And he said that "having killed her and dumped her body in a rather callous way and lying about it afterwards, parts of this trial have amounted to him killing her a second time and attempting to blacken her character".

A dog walker found the make-up artist's decomposed body off Worth Lane, Little Horsted, near Uckfield, last May, four months after her husband allegedly killed her.

Jurors were told the prosecution was unable to say how, where and exactly when Mrs Chenery-Wickens died because of the length of time her body was exposed to the elements.

Is he lying to cover his guilt or is he lying because he's a raving liar? Philip Katz QC, prosecuting

But Mr Katz said: "That doesn't matter at all."

He said there had been "many cases" of murders being proved where a body had not been found, and added it was "for the jury to stand back and use their common sense".

Mr Katz said Mrs Chenery-Wickens did not commit suicide or die from natural causes.

He told jurors Mr Chenery-Wickens asked his girlfriend how to remove blood from carpet after the alleged killing.

And he said blood was found on her wedding and eternity rings.

"Is he lying to cover his guilt or is he lying because he's a raving liar?" Mr Katz asked the jury.

The case continues.