‘Cheating’ wife stabbed 23 times

London -

A wealthy American engineer murdered his British wife by stabbing her 23 times after she began an affair with a Facebook friend, a court heard on Tuesday.

Harold Landry, 64, attacked his 38-year-old wife Lucy with a granite rolling pin, before chasing her and stabbing her to death following a furious row over her boyfriend and money, a jury was told.

He had become infuriated that she regularly invited her “down-and-out” lover to spend the night at their country home when he was away and was desperate to avoid the new man profiting financially.

She collapsed just yards from the detached £800 000 home they shared on a private estate in Pershore, Worcestershire, and was found by a neighbour with a knife sticking out of her side.

Rachel Brand, QC, prosecuting, told Worcester Crown Court that Landry had met his British wife-to-be on an internet site.

The court heard that Landry was a “wealthy man” who did not need to work and had various assets, including property in the United States and Mexico, antiques, coin and stamp collections and bars of silver. He soon moved to England to join Mrs Landry and they married in Coventry in 2002.

But by August of 2009, their relationship had gone “sour” and Mrs Landry had started exchanging Facebook messages with former schoolfriend Gareth Jenkins.

“She got in touch with this man again, they began to see each other and they developed a relationship,” Brand said. “Pretty soon after, divorce proceedings began.”

The couple began living separate lives in the marital home and Brand told the court it had become a “pretty volatile” relationship.

Landry, who is suffering from prostate cancer, changed his will so she would not benefit and they had constant arguments fuelled by alcohol, the court heard.

Mr Landry began a relationship with Rachel Wallbanks in autumn 2009, shortly after discovering his wife’s affair.

By January of last year, Mrs Landry had found somewhere else to live. But as she didn’t work, she needed money to pay her rent. Mr Landry resented giving her money and described her boyfriend as a “down-and-out” who was “likely to gain considerably financially” from the relationship.

In late January, just days before her death, Mrs Landry had been visiting her boyfriend in Wales.

When she was back at home, Mr Jenkins spoke to her on the phone and could hear Mr Landry chanting in the background: “You’re not getting any money.” He was also saying “Hi G”, believed to be a reference to Mr Jenkins, and saying “Your a*** is getting fatter” to his wife.

Neighbour Stephen Kennedy said the couple frequently argued and would drink at least two or three bottles of wine between them, and sometimes each.

On the evening of February 1 last year, Kennedy returned home from work at 9pm to find a card informing him that a parcel he had been sent was at the Landrys’ home.

Seeing lights on, he went to collect the parcel and Mr Landry invited him in and poured him a glass of wine.

He observed that Mr Landry was drunk and had consumed at least three bottles of wine.

Mrs Landry was also there but Kennedy, feeling uncomfortable, poured the wine down the sink while no one was looking, made his excuses and left.

Mr Landry then attacked his wife with a rolling pin, Brand said, causing a “large gash down her cheek”, and chased her round the house.

At one point, he allegedly had her in a headlock and they struggled before she ran outside. He chased her and stabbed her 23 times with a kitchen knife and left her dying in a hedge, the court heard.

Kennedy heard Mrs Landry shout “Steve, Steve” before he heard a scuffle and the screaming stopped, he said. He then ran outside.

“He saw something in the hedge and when he investigated he found it was Lucy Landry,” Brand added. “He reached out for her thinking she was unconscious, but gradually began to realise that there was a great deal of blood on his hands.

“He pretty quickly realised that there was a knife sticking out of the side of her body. He knew that she was dead.”

Mr Landry then drove to Wallbanks’ home and gave her three £10 000 bankers’ drafts, blank cheques, wads of cash and his car.

He told her “something awful” had happened and he would not be seeing her again before returning to the house on foot and being picked up by the police, Brand added.

He also said “she’s dead” to Wallbanks.

Mr Landry denies murder, but accepts manslaughter.

The case continues. - Daily Mail