Surrey Herald from Chertsey, Surrey, England • 1

Sunbury and COMPLETE SPECTACLES AUTOCAR Herald £38 entertainment FROM STEREO PHONES SECURITY SALES FITTINGS REPAIRS 48a Terrace Road Walton -on- Thames 01932 242547 (Hard Coated Plastic) THE ELMSLEIGH CENTRE Staines: 01784 449992 THE PEACOCK CENTRE Woking: 01483 765273 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28 1995 PRICE 27p 01784 457187 SURREY Why I killed wife Murder charge husband snapped after hearing of her love affair When police arrived at the home they found Mrs Strangwick still lying in her blotd-splattered bed A post mortem revealed she had died after her skull was fractured hy 14 heavy blows from a blunt instrument Father of two Strangwick denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility Prosecutor John Bevan told the court: "This represents a family tragedy The defendant killed his wife on their wedding anniversary hitting her repeatedly on the head with a hammer as she slept Recession "The defendant is not the sort of cold-blooded killer that we hear about "One can sympathise about the plight of any man or woman who is told about their partner's infidelity hut it is not a reason to kill" The court heard that removal business Swift Removals had suffered during the recession and that he had been taking drugs for anxiety and depression Swift Removals whose mottto is A Reputation Built On Recommendation have branches in Walton Ashford Egham and Shepperton The trial continues REMOVAL man Terence Strang-wick hammered his wife to death on the night of their wedding anniversary after she told him she was having an affair the Old Bailey heard this week Strangwick 48 from Shepherds Close Shepperton hit his wife Linda 47 on ihe head with a claw hammer 14 times as she slept in their bed on the night of their 28th wedding anniversary Afterwards Strangwick locked the bedroom door fed the dog did a "bit of tidying" and called the police The couples two sons aged 1 5 and 1 3 had slept through the attack and were woken by police Shell-shocked Prosecutor John Bevan told the Old Bailey Strangwick had bought his wife a huge bouquet of Bowers to celebrate the anniversary on March 4 hut she had ignored it And when one of her sons said your anniversary" Mrs Strangwick replied: "No it's not" Strangwick had bought Linda a bra pants and suspenders as a present hut she cast them aside as they hadn't had sex for months He told the court: thought a romantic evening would cheer us both up" He suggested going for an Italian meal but in the end the couple just went to a pub It was there she told him "I have been hav ing an affair" before going on to say it had been going on for two months and she was in love Mrs Strangwick had also had a Bing 20 years before on holiday and the news of her latest man left Strangwick In a statement to Staines police Strangwick admitted: "I was shell shocked absolutely gutted attitude was that the kids could manage without her and she was going to stay with her sister on the Isle of Wight" The court heard that after the revelation Linda had gone to bed at 2am on March 5 Strangwick smoked a cigarette had a cup of tea and sat in the toilet of their end-of-terrace home before walking into the bedroom and bludgeoning Linda to death He told police: just picked up the hammer and went into the bedroom We didn't speak it was quite dark I just started hitting her and hitting her I just couldn't see what I was doing She scream I locked the door and fed the dog and did a bit of tidying" Asked how many times he'd hit his wife who worked as a silver service waitress at The Ship Hotel Russell Road Shepperton Strangwick replied: and hits" The jury heard that Strangwick called the emergency services the next morning and told the operator: "I have committed a murder I just kept hitting her with a hammer she forgot it was our anniversary she was going to leave" bid for rejected Home Event Now On Stockists for: A look of confidence before the announcement from council leader Basil Miles (left) and chief executive Michael Taylor nathan dream of gaining from Surrey is rapidly fading Bitter disappointment emanated from the council offices in Staines on Tuesday morning replacing the optimism of the past few months as news came through of the Local Government Commission's draft recommendations for the future of the borough Shrouded in predictably garrulous terms was the message that the commissioners could see no benefit in changing the existing two tiers of local government with Surrey County Council continuing to control key services like education social services libraries and the fire brigade Alternative Spelthorne though has not completely given up hope of obtaining status with chief executive Michael Taylor urging local people to take advantage of the six weeks of public consultation to show the strength of feeling in the borough "This is their chance to have their he said the Commission is recommending no change it says that making us a unitary authority would he the fitted with webbed bed action that uses a full spring interior mattress Standard sofa and stool also available Wide selection of 3-piece suites from £32995 which include sofa and 2 chairs WHERE THE BEST COSTS LESS alternative and that can't he completely ruled out even now Commission says it accepts that Spelthorne is different It's whether those differences are enough to justify a risk to county I'he hid to cut free from the control of Surrey has not surprisingly reduced relations between County Hall and Knowle Green to an all-time low Now it seems both sides will have to heal the rift which has developed THE Local Government Commission's report Draft Recommenda tions On The Future Local Government Of Spelthorne In The County Of Surrey runs to many pages hut several main points are outlined as the reasons why it was felt the existing borough and county arrangement should be retained These include the views that: 9 Spelthorne is small in terms of both population and area and without such a distinct sense of community identity to justify the loss of effective local government provided hy Surrey and Spelthorne together The borough does not suffer the Continued on page BRANCHES AT: 16 High Street Staines 1 2 Grove House Church Road (opp Debenhams) Ashford (opp Barclays Bank) 01784 459932 01784 256429 INSIDE GUIDE Yesteryear 1 0 Letters 17-19 Obituaries 20 Plans 21 Weddings 24 Diary of Events 26 Crossword 31.