UK man Kills Wife

UK man Kills Wife

A CONTROLLING UK husband who strangled his wife to death because he was obsessed with the idea she was having an affair has been jailed.

Dogmatic Christian Dexter Landsberg, 34, who believed a man is the head of the household and must be obeyed, put his long-term partner in a chokehold for up to five minutes until she apologised for “disrespecting” him.

After Madina, originally from Zimbabwe, lost consciousness and subsequently died, Landsberg put her body in her bed and fled the scene without making any attempt to seek medical help.

Landsberg, a man of more than six foot tall, had been on bail for assaulting her at the time of the attack at a house in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, on June 10, 2014.

He was given a life sentence at St Albans Crown Court after admitting murder at a hearing in December, and must serve a minimum of 13-and-a-half-years.

VIOLENCE

Judge Stephen Gullick, sentencing, said: “For some time your marriage had been deteriorating and relationships were strained.

“You had a particular view of the role of a wife. Your wife did not agree with your views. From time to time, the relationship descended into violence, particularly if she questioned those views."

“Your actions have caused immeasurable loss to her large and close knit family, who are devastated by the dreadful turn of events,” he added.

Madina, known as Dina to loved ones, had made claims of domestic violence to Hertfordshire Police and her husband had been arrested just months before she died.

The force has referred its handling of the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Madina’s aunt, Kay Hunda, expressed disappointment over the sentencing stating that her killer still had something to look forward to while she and her family could only “visit a grave”.

The family has set up a charity called Death Is Not A Solution (Dinas) in her honour, which will go into schools, churches and social groups to teach people how to recognise domestic abuse.

She said: “No sentence could ever bring Dina back. I would have liked a longer jail term. We have let the law take its course and we respect that.

“Dina was a lovely person, very caring and always smiling and laughing.

"She didn’t even recognise herself as a victim of domestic abuse. That’s why we wanted to set up this charity – to raise awareness.

Source http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news/news.aspx?newsID=19728