TEESSIDE MAN JAILED FOR LIFE OVER 'DIVORCE PARTY' WIFE MURDER
A 63-year-old man named Brian Jones has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of the murder of his ex-wife, Katrina Jones.The incident occurred in November at her home in Marske, Teesside, where Jones attacked her with a kitchen knife, stabbing her 12 times.
Although he acknowledged the stabbing, Jones denied committing murder, claiming he was triggered by a divorce celebration.
The court, Teesside Crown Court, found him guilty of her murder and ordered a minimum sentence of 10 years.
On the day of the tragedy, posters displaying the message 'Katrina's Divorce Party.
Free at last' were present.
Jones, who was a bodybuilder, reportedly lost control after seeing a picture with the words 'Pin the tail on the X' written next to Katrina’s face.
The jury took eight hours to reach a unanimous guilty verdict of murder.
Following the attack, Jones contacted emergency services, saying, 'I have stabbed my wife, please come quickly.
Will you please come and save her?' Police arrived to find Katrina’s body lying on the living room floor, decorated with a divorce party banner.
The court heard that the marriage had lasted ten years but was legally dissolved only a month before the killing.
Katrina had filed for divorce, accusing her husband of 'unreasonable behaviour,' and it was later revealed she had been having an affair for over a year.
Her mother, Jean Evans, shared her grief, stating: 'My life has changed forever and it will never be the same again.' Detective Sergeant Colin Helyer described the case as one of the most extreme domestic violence cases he had dealt with, emphasizing that Katrina had endured months of abuse beforehand.
Judge Peter Fox sentenced Jones, expressing his belief that Jones's clear intention was to kill his wife.
Jones was seen crying as he was taken from the dock.
