Man admits wife murder

A killer bludgeoned his wife to death with a dumbbell – later moaning she had been treating him “like a slave”.

Francis Santhio brutally attacked Amelet Francis at her home in Toryglen, Glasgow in September this year.

The couple’s eldest son later made the grim discovery of his mother’s blood soaked body.

The ex-farmer was held by police soon after making a tearful confession to another of his children that he had hit his 49 yearold wife.

The 53-year-old now faces life in jail after he pled guilty to a murder charge at the High Court in Glasgow.

A judge heard how Santhio had previous convictions for domestic abuse against tragic Amelet.

Santhio was remanded in custody and will be sentenced just before Christmas.

The court heard how the couple had been married since 1989, but that Santhio was latterly estranged from his family.

He lived at a flat in the city’s Govan while Amelet stayed in Toryglen with their three sons.

On the morning of the murder – September 4 – Santhio was clocked approaching his wife at mass at a local church.

Later in the day, their eldest son got a call at work to say something had happened to his mum.

He immediately called her home and his father answered stating: “She can’t speak – there has been an accident.”

Their son rushed to the flat and discovered the door unlocked.

Describing the horror he eventually found in a bedroom, prosecutor Bruce Erroch said: “On looking through the door, he saw his mother on her back on the floor.

“She was covered in blood and suffering from an obvious head injury.

“He immediately thought she was dead and did not fully enter the room.”

The son instead dialled 999, but paramedics could not save his mum.

After the killing, an emotional Santhio turned up at the school of one of his other sons.

He told him Amelet had fallen after he hit her and that she “could not get back up”.

Santhio was soon detained by police near the scene. On being told his wife was dead, he whined: “She treated me like a slave. She retained my passport and kept my money.”

The court also heard that, while on remand, the killer called his daughter, who had not heard from him for two years.

He admitted he had got “angry” with Amelet and smacked her on the head with a weight.

A blood-stained dumbbell was discovered at the murder scene on the kitchen floor.

Mr Erroch told the court Amelet suffered “multiple fractures to the skull” consistent with being hit with a “heavy object”.

Sri-Lankan Santhio already had a number of convictions before the murder including “instances of domestic abuse” towards his wife.

Judge Lord Turnbull deferred sentencing for reports until later this month.