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Man killed wife on anniversary

A pensioner has been found guilty of beating his wife to death with a sand-filled sock during a weekend break to celebrate their first anniversary. Frederick Doughty, formerly of Cirencester Court, Swindon, then smothered and strangled Valerie in a Hampshire hotel room.

Doughty showed no emotion when the jury of six men and six women at Winchester Crown Court found him guilty of murder by a majority verdict on Friday. As he sentenced Doughty to life imprisonment, Justice Roger Toulson said: "It remains a mystery why you acted with such extreme violence."

Anthony Davies QC, prosecuting, had told the court that on the day of the killing, the relationship between the two had been "rocky". The court heard Doughty had started an affair with Mrs Doughty in 1995, which led to divorce from his first wife, of 35 years. Mr Davies said he and the second Mrs Doughty had argued about small matters all day on 7 May last year, while they were staying in Portsmouth. After dinner, the couple went to room 324 at the £80-a-night Posthouse Hotel in Southsea, where the arguments continued.

Mr Davies said that retired engineer Doughty took exception when his wife agreed he was only good for chauffeuring her around and paying the bills. The argument came after Doughty gave his wife a gold bracelet as a present.

Attempted resuscitation
In the witness box a tearful Doughty also told the jury that he "exploded" when his wife said she never loved him and she had feelings for a former boyfriend. He said he hit her with the sand-filled sock that he had packed by accident and she started screaming. He then put a pillow over her face then removed it and said she continued to scream, he told the jury. He said: "When I removed the pillow again she appeared to be dead. "I took her by the chin and moved her about, not really believing she was dead and hoping she wasn't. "I attempted mouth to mouth resuscitation - nothing, so I just said goodbye and gave her a cuddle."

During the trial the prosecution said Doughty had strangled Mrs Doughty, fracturing her larynx. However, he denied this. Giving evidence, pathologist Dr Allen Anscombe said "considerable force" had been applied to Mrs Doughty's neck. He said: "I do not see how the injuries to her throat could be caused by pressure applied by a pillow over her face and neck."

Mercy plea
After the murder, Doughty, formerly of Cirencester Court, Swindon, Wiltshire, telephoned reception and told hotel staff to call the police because his wife was dead.

Doughty met widow Valerie when she became chairman of the Cirencester Court Residents' Association in 1995 and he was the secretary. They married in May 2000, a month after the divorce from his first wife came through. But the court heard that the relationship soon deteriorated with Doughty saying in the witness box his new wife was possessive and had accused him of having at least three affairs. After the verdict, Nicholas Atlinson QC, defending, asked Justice Toulson to be merciful in his recommendation to the Home Secretary on the tariff Doughty should serve. He said: "The probability is that this defendant will die in custody and I ask the court to be as merciful as possible."

19th January 2002

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