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- Paul Abbott delivered 16 blows with a hammer, fatally bludgeoning his estranged wife
- Blamed his wife for selling tickets to see an Elvis Presley tribute act
- Abbott told a relative the red blood stains on his hand were from paint
- The accused once gambled away £11,500 within a two day period at one point during the marriage
A West Midlands, UK man has been jailed for life after fatally bludgeoning his estranged wife with a hammer in December.
Paul Abbott, 57, struck his wife Jacqueline, 54, a total of 16 times, after she sold his ticket to see an Elvis Presley tribute act.
Abbott claims he lashed out at Jacqueline with the hammer after she lunged at him and scratched the accused across his face. He later told a relative the red stains on his hand left by the blood were caused by paint.
Police claim that this was the latest in a long series of violent outbursts dating back to the 1990s.
Detective Inspector Justin Spanner, senior investigating officer, said during the hearing: 'Abbott suggested it was a red mist moment and that, despite the relationship being on the rocks, he still loved his wife.
However, we proved to the court a history of domestic violence and showed that this was a jealous and controlling relationship throughout.
'This was not a loss of temper or a split-second loss of control - Abbott pursued Mrs Abbott down stairs, stopped to deactivate an alarm, and then struck her twice more in the garden.
'This is a tragic case - Mrs Abbott was looking to break from an abusive relationship that she'd endured for a long time and had just returned from a week away with friends.
'It should have been a fresh start for her but Abbott cruelly cut her life short.'
A Wolverhampton Crown Court Also heard evidence that Abbott had gambled away £11,500 within a two day period at one point during the marriage.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
