CONTROLLING MAN CONVICTED OF MURDER IN ST IVES
A man described as 'possessive, jealous and controlling' has been convicted of murder after strangling his partner at her home in St Ives.John Mearns, aged 54, was found guilty at Cambridge Crown Court of killing Pauline Smith, also 54, in October of the previous year.
Mearns, who has no fixed address, denied murder but admitted manslaughter.
The court heard that Mrs.
Smith died from compression to the neck, believed to have lasted for a matter of minutes, following a brutal attack.
The sentencing is scheduled for 15 June.
Mrs.
Smith's family expressed their relief at the verdict, stating it brought 'some justice' to a 'heart-wrenching time of our lives'.
The court revealed that Mearns had been in an 'on-off relationship' with Mrs.
Smith after her separation from her husband, Barry, earlier in 2011.
Mearns reacted badly when he began to lose control of the relationship.
The prosecution highlighted Mrs.
Smith's caring and sensitive nature, and her friends' descriptions of her.
Her family emphasized the emotional pain caused and expressed their hope to move forward from this tragic event.
