Ex-Ukip councillor killed his wife
A FORMER Ukip councillor was yesterday found guilty of murdering his wife after he had an affair with their son’s partner.
Ex-Royal Marine Stephen Searle, 64, claimed he had been defending himself after Anne, 62, attacked him with a knife.
In a 999 call made on December 30 last year and played in court, the father of three told the operator: “I’ve just killed my wife.”
Jurors at Ipswich Crown Court took just three and a half hours to return the guilty verdict and he faces a life term when he is sentenced today.
Prosecutor Andrew Jackson said Searle had probably placed his wife in a choke hold learned during his military training.
The trial heard that the Searles’ marriage of 45 years had been under strain since June last year when Mrs Searle discovered her husband’s affair with son Gary’s partner Anastasia Pomiateeva, who was mother to at least one of their grandchildren.
Mr Justice Green said Searle’s “act of infidelity in one way or another led to this”.
Officers attended the couple’s home in Stowmarket, Suffolk, within minutes of the call made at 10.19pm and found Mrs Searle dead.
A post-mortem examination recorded that she died of compression of the neck.
In a victim impact statement, son Stephen said: “Not only have I lost my mum, but because of what he’s done I’ve lost my dad too.”