Debt-ridden gambler stabbed wife to death
AGRANDMOTHER was stabbed to death by her gambling addict husband who felt ‘belittled’ after she refused to let him to be named on the deeds to their new home, a court heard.
David Pawluk, 59, met Margaret Howlett, 63, through her job as manager of a bookmakers.
They married after a whirlwind romance but began to row over his ‘significant’ gambling problem and mounting debts.
Problems came to a head when they decided to sell her home and move to a new house together. When she refused to put his name on the deeds of the new property he attacked her and left her to die in the kitchen of their home.
Minshull Crown Court heard Pawluk tried several times to kill himself before walking into a police station two after days the killing and confessed.
Pawluk has now been jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years and eight months after pleading guilty to murder.
The court heard the pair, who had both been married previously, met through Mrs Howlett’s job at a bookmakers in Rochdale. She worked as manager, while Pawluk was a regular customer.
Prosecutors said Mrs Howlett was in a good position financially and owned her own home in Alexander Street, Castleton.
“The same could not be said of the defendant,” prosecutor Andrew O’Byrne QC.
He was recently divorced and a ‘heavy gambler,’ the court heard.
When Pawluk and Mrs Howlett first met, she was in a relationship with another man.
“It seems that the defendant set out to wreck that relationship,” Mr O’Byrne added.
When they broke up the pair became engaged during Christmas 2016. They got married in Cyprus in summer last year, with none of their friends or family present.
The court heard that her friends said Mrs Howlett was becoming ‘increasingly detached’ from them and her husband was ‘controlling.’
Pawluk’s ex-wife said he had also been controlling towards her, saying he often lost his temper but stressed he was never violent.
Mrs Howlett became aware he had a ‘significant’ gambling problem.
He continued to bet, placing small bets at the bookies where his wife worked, but wagering larger sums elsewhere.
Neighbours began to overhear arguments between the couple, but they said all appeared to seem well publicly the next day.
The court heard that Pawluk had cashed and spent his £40,000 pension pot on gambling or settling debts and that he was £2,000 overdrawn with £20,000 credit card debts.
“In financial terms, he had no further room to manoeuvre,” Mr O’Byrne said.
Mrs Howlett had decided to sell her home and move elsewhere. But after becoming aware of her husband’s gambling problems, she changed her mind, the court heard.
Pawluk talked her round, compromising and saying they could still move but that only her name would be put on the title deeds.
He was said to be angered by this, saying it made him feel ‘worthless’ and like a ‘lodger.’
In March, Mrs Howlett had confided in a friend and said she no longer loved Pawluk and revealed that of the £24,000 she had in savings when she met him, she now only had £4,000 left.
Pawluk had also texted a friend saying he needed a divorce.
On the night of her death, Mrs Howlett had enjoyed a day out in Manchester with a friend of 50 years, going to the hairdressers, enjoying a meal and doing some shopping.
Pawluk had earlier agreed to pick the pair up from the station, but instead he went out drinking in Rochdale with a friend.
He returned home first just after 10pm, describing himself as ‘drunk’ having consumed eight pints.
She returned shortly after in a taxi, described as ‘merry’ but not drunk.
The court heard that even before she was able to take her coat off, an argument broke out, thought to be about the gambling or the mortgage.
Prosecutors said Mrs Howlett told him: “What’s wrong with you? This is not you, you are beginning to frighten me.” Pawluk grabbed her, forced her to the ground with his knee on her back, then stabbed her two or three times in the neck.
Neighbours later said they heard screaming, banging doors and Pawluk saying ‘you’re a f ***** liar.’
They said it sounded like ‘he was going to kill her.’
He didn’t ring 999 for help, as he ‘thought she was already dead,’ the court heard. The defendant then spent the night repeatedly trying to kill himself and spent the following night asleep in his car.
Then in the morning on Monday, April 12, Pawluk, said to be ‘agitated,’ walked into a police station in Rochdale and told officers at the counter that he had murdered his wife.
After they heard he had tried to kill himself, Pawluk was taken to hospital, where he spent several weeks until being fit to be questioned by police.
Meanwhile, police went into the house and found Mrs Howlett’s body.
The defendant appeared to have a grudge against his wife, because of her changing her mind about putting his name onto the title deeds of the new property.
“He was in a rage before she even returned home,” Mr O’Byrne said.
In a victim impact statement, Mrs Howlett’s daughter Adele Strickland said a ‘gaping hole’ had been left in her family’s life following their loss.
“She was a vibrant, thoughtful and loving Mum, nana, sister and friend. There’s no-one who ever could or ever will take her place.”
Defending, Richard Vardon said Pawluk was struggling to come to terms with what he had done. He said the defendant has shown ‘genuine contrition and remorse.’
But he added that it was a ‘crude caricature’ to say he was a drunk or a gambling addict.
Mr Vardon said neighbours described him as ‘polite and friendly’ and that he and Mrs Howlett both loved each other.
“This is someone who is haunted by the reality of what he has done,” the barrister said.
Sentencing, Judge John Potter said: “This was a savage attack with the use of at least one knife towards a defenceless woman in her own home.
“As she lay dying you did nothing to try to save her.”
After the hearing, Senior Investigating Officer Duncan Thorpe of GMP’s Major Incident Support Unit said: “Pawluk brutally murdered an innocent woman who he had married only months earlier.”
“What began as a happy marriage quickly deteriorated. The couple argued over his gambling problems and ownership of the marital home.”
When the marriage began to break down, Pawluk seemed more concerned with what money and property he might be left with, rather than the state of their relationship.
“In the short time they were together, it is clear that Pawluk was very controlling. His behaviour escalated and resulted in tragic consequences.
“Margaret was loved by many friends, family and colleagues. While nothing can ever replace her, we hope today’s sentence offers some closure to those who knew her.”