Man who choked his lover after food row sent to jail

A KILLER who choked his lover to death has been jailed for six years.

David Anderson strangled Louise O’Brien, then texted her young son pretending she was still alive. Anderson snapped after a row because Ms O’Brien had wanted to make something to eat.

The 36-year-old was discovered dead on a bed at their flat in Perth with a heart-shaped chocolate beside her.

Anderson, who had faced a murder allegation, was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow after admitting to the reduced charge of culpable homicide.

Lord Boyd said Anderson was “clearly in love” with Ms O’Brien and that only he knew what exactly happened between the couple that night.

The judge added he found it “chilling” Anderson used his dead partner’s phone to message her son after the attack. The couple were together for around a year before the killing. They had fall-outs, but Anderson was described by one person as the “best boyfriend” Ms O’Brien had met.

However, call centre worker Anderson later told a colleague he was going to leave his lover and move to Dundee.

Prosecutor Bernard Ablett said the exact date of the killing was not known.

Former bar worker Ms O’Brien was last spotted on April 24 this year before her body was discovered four days later.

Anderson called in sick to work claiming he had an upset stomach. He was described as “sounding lost” and not his usual “chirpy self”.

The killer made a series of web searches including: “If you are accused of murder, are you automatically put in prison?”

Brian McConnachie, defending, said there had been a row after they had returned home from separate nights out.