Wife murderer jailed for life

A retired firefighter who strangled his wife because she was going to leave him for his best friend has been jailed for life with a minimum of 12 years.

Michael Wathen, aged 67, was found guilty of murdering his wife of 44-years Margaret, 63, at their marital home in Brier Mill Road, Halesowen.

He attacked her when she phoned her lover Alan Thompson and told him to collect her from the house on the same day they had been to see a marriage counsellor.

Wathen, who had worked at fire stations in Sandwell and Birmingham, had denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the basis he did not intend to kill his wife and he had no control over his actions.

But after almost three and a half hours of deliberation the jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court returned a guilty verdict on the murder charge yesterday.

Before the sentence a letter written by Wathen about his wife, who was known by her middle name of Heather, was read out in court by his barrister Mr Roger Farley QC.

In it he said: "May I say Heather and I were man and wife and lovers for nearly half a century. I didn't mean to kill her and I will have to live with the remorse, guilt and grief for the rest of my life."

Judge John Warner told Wathen he had taken into account his age when deciding on the sentence.