Warrington man who bludgeoned wife to death with crowbar sentenced to life in prison
Ann Marie Pomphret suffered repeat blows to the head with a crowbar.
Last updated 15th Oct 2019
A "quiet man'' who bludgeoned his wife to death with a crowbar in Cheshire has been sentenced to life in prison.
Computer expert David Pomphret, 51, battered his wife Ann Marie, 49, with the weapon, striking her more than 30 times over the head at the stables they owned near their home in Winwick, on 2nd November last year.
Pomphret protested his innocence but was "undone'' after a speck of blood on his socks revealed he was at the scene.
The Barclays IT worker was convicted of murder last Friday after a two-week trial and will be behind bars for a minimum of 20 years before he's considered for parole.
Pomphret dialled 999 saying he had found his wife of 22 years lying in a pool of blood, "very dead''. He added: "There is brain and blood everywhere, and it looks like she has had her head beaten in.''
He denied planning the murder then tried to cover his tracks, telling the jury: "One of Marie's favourite TV programmes was CSI and one of the things they always said is you can't get rid of blood.''
Pomphret was given bail but was re-arrested four months later after police found airborne blood'' on his socks, which was dubbed a "huge mistake''.
He then had to change his story, the jury was told, and admitted manslaughter, tearfully telling Liverpool Crown Court he "killed the woman I loved''.
Instead he blamed his "volatile'' wife's behaviour, denying murder and claiming a special defence of a temporary loss of control.
The couple had been married for 22 years before the attack in November last year.