24/03/2006

Killer wife sentenced to life

A former prostitute has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering her elderly husband after discovering he was not wealthy.

Tatjana Edwards, 27, originally from Estonia, had admitted stabbing her husband Gwyn Edwards at their home in Ottershaw on June 11 last year.

The 72-year-old businessman suffered a single knife wound to the abdomen and died later in hospital.

Edwards claimed that the stabbing was an accident. She said that she had been trying to commit suicide and had accidentally stabbed her husband as he struggled to disarm her.

Edwards was told that she must serve a minimum sentence for 12 years before parole could be considered.

During the trial, the court heard how Edwards met her elderly husband while working as a prostitute in north London. She had set out to ensnare him when he hinted that he was a multi-millionaire.

However, after the couple married, Edwards discovered that her husband, a marketing consultant, was not wealthy. The court was told that she "drained" his bank account and the relationship descended into a series of violent rows about money.

Commenting on the verdict, Detective Chief Inspector Helen Collins said: “We are pleased with the jury’s verdict and the sentencing reflects the seriousness of the crime. This has been a challenging investigation given both the background of the defendant and the complexities of the case.

“The thoughts of the Surrey Police investigation team are with Mr Edwards’ family and we hope that this verdict will be of some comfort to them."

(KMcA)


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