Warwickshire man jailed over wife's murder
He initially told emergency workers she'd attempted suicide
A Warwickshire man has been sentenced for the murder of his wife.
He had initially dialled 999 to tell them she had attempted to take her own life.
Police were first alerted by ambulance crews to reports a woman had been found hanging by her husband.
Despite the best efforts to save her, she died a few days after the initial call in July last year.
Police soon became suspicious of Ryan Timms' version of events.
At the house and talking to Timms, the attending officers noticed that there were some inconsistencies in the story he was providing.
The assault had supposedly taken place upstairs, with Timms having taken her body downstairs afterwards.
Members of the ambulance crew and attending officers observed that it would have been difficult to have accomplished this, with items cluttering a steep and narrow staircase.
Post-mortems showed evidence that a neck hold was the likely cause of death.
Timms was arrested on suspicion of murder in June this year.
The 44-year-old from Hartshill has been sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 19 years.
DCI Collette O’Keefe said: "The investigation into this death has been challenging and complex.
“Ryan was arrested shortly after the woman was discovered. What followed was a comprehensive and intricate review of the couple’s life.
“She had suffered in silence for many years. The relationship was toxic and she suffered alone in silence. She kept the domestic abuse hidden from family, friends, and work colleagues. It was evident that she had wanted to leave.
“Our officers didn’t believe Ryan’s account that she had taken her own life. There were too many inconsistencies in his story."