Murdered wife's affair 'secret'

Beverley Parkhouse's body was found in a bed with a burnt duvet

The husband of a woman having an affair with the man accused of murdering her has told a court he had no idea his wife was being unfaithful to him.

Andre Parkhouse, from Nantymoel, was "happily married" to Beverley, 45, for 27 years, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Royston David Moore, 52, also of Nantymoel, denies killing Mrs Parkhouse at her father's home in Ogmore Vale, Bridgend, in September 2006.

Mrs Parkhouse was suffocated and the bed she was in was set on fire.

Mr Parkhouse told the court he found a text message on his wife's phone about six months before her death, saying "I wish I was coming home with you. Stop blowing smoke in my face fag ash Lil x".

He thought the text was strange and asked his daughter Sarah what she thought it meant, but denied he thought it was from another man.

Under cross-examination, he told the court he thought the text was from one of Mrs Parkhouse's female colleagues but did not think it signified an affair.

'Rumours'

He added they sometimes received silent telephone calls at night at home but he assumed they were from telesales people.

Mr Parkhouse also said he was not aware of any rumours she was having an affair.

The jury was told some people in Nantymoel believed the couple had separated as Mrs Parkhouse often stayed at her father Kenneth Palmer's home following the death of her mother Doreen six months before.

Mr Parkhouse, a motorway engineer, only found out about the affair two weeks after Mrs Parkhouse's death, he said.

He was "in shock" after Mr Palmer called him at work to tell him of "a bit of bad news" following the murder.

He said. "I couldn't believe it. I said 'What's happened?' and he said something about a fire."

Prisoners

The court heard Mrs Parkhouse smoked up to 20 cigarettes a day but never in the bedroom at her father's home.

Mr Parkhouse and Mr Moore would speak to each other at Nantymoel Social Club when he and his wife went on Saturday nights.

He told the court he was not jealous of his wife talking to other men, and did not mind her going to the club on Sunday nights, as she had the night of her death.

The jury had previously heard Mr Moore told two prisoners at Cardiff that he had strangled Mrs Parkhouse at her father's home and taken her mobile phone, before leaving the house.

The trial continues.