Coercive and controlling killer who stabbed wife 77 times is jailed for life
The judge ruled that the murder was committed against a background of controlling and coercive behaviour, in particular in relation to finances.
A husband who killed his wife by stabbing her 77 times and causing her blunt force trauma with a dog food can has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years.
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Robert Alexander, 66, also strangled nurse Christina Alexander at their home in Dosthill in Tamworth in June last year, a sentencing hearing at Stafford Crown Court heard on Tuesday.
Jurors unanimously convicted Alexander of murder in June this year after a 14-day trial was told the 60-year-old victim suffered “catastrophic” injuries to her face, neck, body, arms and legs.
Alexander, the trial heard, told police “I’ve disposed of my wife” after the killing in his hallway and kitchen.
He later claimed in court that he could not remember what had happened after he had been hit in the stomach and “lost the plot”.
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Passing sentence, Judge Avik Mukherjee told Alexander that the evidence in the case showed he was aware that his partner was planning to leave him.
The judge told the killer, who was wearing a grey T-shirt and stared at the floor for much of the hearing: “I am sure that you intended to kill Christina due to the extent of the injuries that you inflicted upon her and also the ways in which you attacked her.”
Personal impact statements read to the court on behalf of the “most precious” victim’s siblings and circle of friends were extremely moving, the judge said.
He added: “The taking of a life is a terrible thing – not only because of the life which is cut short but because of all the other lives that are damaged as well.”
The judge told Alexander, of Ascot Drive, Dosthill, that there was “no guarantee that you will be released” at the end of the minimum term or at any particular time thereafter.
Christina had been subjected to a “repeated and sustained” assault, the judge said, telling Alexander: “Such was the ferocity and force of the attack that she succumbed to very serious injuries within a short period.”
The judge also ruled that the murder was committed against a background of controlling and coercive behaviour, in particular in relation to finances.
In a statement issued after the case, Warwickshire Police Detective Superintendent Charlotte Naughton, the senior investigating officer, said: “This was a devastating incident, where Christina’s life was violently ended too soon.
“No sentence will bring Christina back, however I hope our investigation is able to provide some closure to Christina’s loved ones.
“Domestic abuse remains one of the most harmful and pervasive crimes we face. Warwickshire Police is committed to taking robust action against those who perpetrate abuse, controlling behaviour and violence.”
In a victim personal statement, Christina’s brother Neil said: “Tina was somebody that throughout her life just wanted to help people.
“From a young age, she wanted to follow in our mother’s footsteps and become a nurse. We have been trying our hardest to remember all the happy memories of my sister. She was always there for all her brothers and sisters.”
The victim’s brother said it had been horrific and chilling to learn the nature of his sister’s injuries, and described Alexander as “heartless, self-centred” and “without a decent human bone in his body”.