Ex-headteacher admits stabbing to death his wife and her lover

AN ESTRANGED husband has admitted murdering his wife and her lover who were found stabbed to death on New Year’s Day.

Former headteacher Rhys Hancock, 40, killed Helen Hancock, 39, from Duffield, Derbyshire, and Martin Griffiths, 48, from Derby, at the former marital home, before calling police to tell them what he had done.

Mrs Hancock, a PE teacher, and father-of-two Mr Griffiths were discovered with multiple stab wounds at the detached property after police were first called at 4.11am.

A court previously heard how Hancock’s mother rang the police to tell them her son had found out on Boxing Day that his wife had been seeing another man and it had caused him “some distress”.

She told police her son then left her home, taking two knives with him, and that he seemed

“calm” but she was concerned he was going to do something because he had said earlier he “felt like killing them”.

Both victims were found in a bedroom with multiple stab wounds.

Mr Griffiths had already died but paramedics battled for more than 15 minutes to resuscitate Mrs Hancock. Yesterday, Hancock admitted both murder charges in a virtual hearing at Derby Crown Court.

Paying tribute to Mrs Hancock, her family said: “The family are devastated at the loss of Helen, who was a lovely, beautiful, friendly, bubbly and social person.” Mr Griffiths’s family also paid tribute, saying: “Martin was a lovely dad, husband, son, brother and uncle who had a passion for adventure, running and a love of animals.”

Hancock will be sentenced at a date to be fixed.