MAN JAILED FOR MURDERING WIFE AND FAKING HER SUICIDE
Derek Potter, aged 64, was convicted of murdering his wife Lesley at their Swansea home on April 7, then staging her death to look like a suicide by hanging.At first, the police did not suspect any foul play—the couple’s home was seen as the scene of a self-inflicted death, with Potter claiming Lesley had ended her own life.
The investigation was sparked when Potter confided in a pub colleague, revealing that he had to strangle his wife, which prompted a closer look.
During the trial at Swansea Crown Court, Mr Justice Soole handed down a mandatory life sentence, stating that Potter’s actions were driven by a sudden and intense burst of anger, which led him to cover up his crime through a shameful series of false accounts.
Prosecutor Paul Hobson QC explained that forensic evidence and witness testimonies proved the staged nature of the death, countering the false narrative of suicide.
Evidence showed Potter had used considerable force to strangle Lesley, then left to appear as if he had discovered her hanging, before returning to simulate an emergency response.
Potter told Natalia Mikhailoea-Kisselevskaia that he loved his wife but was compelled to kill her due to her behavior.
The victim’s family expressed their grief and outrage, stating they suffered greatly and deserved justice.
Official statements from police and the Crown Prosecution Service praised the witnesses and forensic work that led to the conviction.
