Scottish Daily Mail

Teacher murdered by husband she caught making child porn

- By Tom Witherow

A PRIMARY school teacher was murdered by her husband when she confronted him about taking indecent images of a child.

Adam parkin launched a frenzied attack on his wife Julie, 39, when she ordered him to leave after finding his sickening videos.

Having packed his bags, the 35-yearold picked up an eight-inch kitchen knife and stabbed her.

He attacked his wife, who has two children from another marriage, 27 times with such force he broke the blade on her skull. He then dragged her body through the house, leaving her face down to die in her kitchen.

Afterwards he told police: ‘i had something beautiful but i f***ed it up. She was so sad when she found out what i really am.’ The Crown prosecutio­n Service manager was sentenced to life, with a minimum of 23 years, yesterday at Newcastle Crown Court.

Judge paul Sloan QC said: ‘you subjected her to a particular­ly brutal knife attack. She tried to fend off the blows with her bare hands, but to no avail.

‘The action of killing your wife was directly linked to her discovery of your sexual activity.

‘you may have known your world would come crashing down around you. Whether that realisatio­n was the trigger for that attack only you now know.’

The murder took place on the night of June 26 at the couple’s £160,000 three-bedroom semi after parkin came back by train from a meeting in London.

They rowed about a covert camera mrs parkin had found in his coat pocket that afternoon that proved he was sexually interested in a child. But he went to the kitchen, picked up the knife and repeatedly plunged it into her as she sat on the sofa.

parkin stabbed her 27 times in total, including nine times in the neck and three times in the chest. The court heard 12 of the wounds were ‘deeply penetratin­g’.

robert Smith, QC, prosecutin­g, said the much-loved teacher was conscious and subject to ‘mental and physical suffering’ during the attack.

parkin then drove straight to a police station, where he said: ‘i’ve killed her. She was so sad when she found out what i really am. We were going to split. She said, “Don’t kill yourself” and i should have done that. i should have killed myself. There’s something wrong with me.’

When police analysed parkin’s computer they found three videos of child abuse, filmed in the four months before the murder.

They found he had been grooming the girl, sending her more than 230 texts offering her make-up and Victoria’s Secret designer underwear. When parkin’s laptop was seized, investigat­ors found search terms including: ‘Cambodia child abuse’, ‘rape sex’, ‘dog sex’, ‘toy with built-in camera’ and ‘teacher sexually assaulted’.

Detectives found Julie’s computer had searched phrases such as ‘What to do if you don’t feel loved enough in your relationsh­ip’, ‘Top five signs your husband is demanding and controllin­g’ and ‘Fight for your marriage when your husband is emotionall­y distant from you’.

Victim impact statements read to the court told of her family’s emotional turmoil after losing mrs parkin, who worked at West Boldon primary School, in Northumber­land. mrs parkin’s mother patricia Oxley, said: ‘Anger, grief and despair are simply not adequate. Julie touched the hearts of everyone she met.

‘Our lives have been shattered for ever. No one can believe Julie is not with us any more.’ parkin, who worked for CpS Direct, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to murder and three charges of making indecent images. He also admitted attempting to murder another person.

Judge Sloan, addressing parkin, said: ‘you deliberate­ly armed yourself with a knife. The attack was extremely brutal, targeting the head, upper back and chest.

‘The attack occurred in the matrimonia­l home where she should have been safe.’

psychiatri­c reports showed parkin, who had no previous conviction­s, was not suffering any mental disorder or illness.

‘I should have killed myself’

 ??  ?? Stabbed 27 times: Julie Parkin with killer Adam
Stabbed 27 times: Julie Parkin with killer Adam

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