Rotherham man jailed after admitting to stabbing wife and leaving her with fatal injuries
He will serve three years four months behind bars
A Rotherham man has been jailed after admitting to the manslaughter of his wife, who was stabbed during an argument.
58-year-old Laurence Ward became involved in an altercation with Joanne Ward, 53, at their shared home in Lowgreave, Herringthorpe Valley Road, on June 21.
Joanne suffered a single stab wound to the chest during the fight, during which Laurence was also seriously injured.
Rather than call an ambulance Mr Ward walked to the home of a family member to admit what he had done.
Joanne was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, with a knife being found nearby.
Ward was arrested at the scene and was initially charged with murder, although a plea of manslaughter was later accepted by Sheffield Crown Court.
He will serve three years and four months behind bars.
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Simon Cartwright, of South Yorkshire Police, said:
"This is a tragic case which has resulted in Joanne Ward losing her life.
"Laurence Ward left his wife to succumb to her injuries alone as he walked to a different address to disclose what had happened. He was waiting for us at the scene when we arrived to investigate.
"Our investigation was thorough and included more than 30 witness statements, and I'd like to thank every single member of the public who came forward to help us build up our intelligence picture.
"In his police interview, Ward admitted he was the only one who could have caused the injuries to his wife, and said he had left their home because he was in a state of shock and had panicked.
"I hope today's sentence will provide some closure to everyone affected by this tragic case."