DEVON MAN GETS LIFE FOR JEALOUS PARTNER MURDER
A man who murdered his partner hours after she underwent surgery for breast cancer has been jailed for life.John Doyle, 54, strangled solicitor Sian Rees, 50, at their rural Devon home on 30 June 2011.
He then crashed his van with her body inside as he attempted to dispose of it, as reported by Exeter Crown Court.
The jury rejected Doyle's claims that he acted in self-defence.
He was sentenced to serve a minimum of 16 years.
Doyle crashed the van near Hatherleigh on 1 July, where police officers found Ms Rees's corpse between the front seats.
Doyle, of Merton Mill, Merton, Devon, stated that he killed his partner when she threatened him with a knife.
The post-mortem indicated Ms Rees died approximately 12 hours before her body was discovered.
The court heard that in the months prior to her death, she had expressed a desire to end the relationship and was the sole breadwinner, while Doyle was renovating their home with slow progress.
The court also described Doyle as manipulative and dangerous, citing a previous attack on his ex-wife over 20 years ago in Australia, where he throttled his then estranged wife on New Year's Day 1989, and also attacked her boyfriend.
Judge Graham Cottle stated there was 'no doubt' Doyle intended to murder Ms Rees and was planning to dispose of her body.
After the verdict, Detective Inspector Mike West remarked that the case had 'succeeded in protecting the public from a highly manipulative and dangerous individual'.
Doyle's actions were not considered premeditated but occurred during a heated argument, where he admitted to grabbing Ms Rees by the throat to restrain her while trying to disarm her, with no intention to kill.
Post-mortem tests confirmed Ms Rees's death occurred approximately 12 hours before her body was found inside Doyle's van.
The case underscored Doyle's history of violence towards women, including a similar attack on his ex-wife in Australia over two decades ago.
