A WARRINGTON man was jailed for at least 27 years today for the murder of his wife and an offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Andrew Munro aged 51, of Culcheth, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court.
The offence of grievous bodily harm involved another individual who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Munro initially pleaded guilty to the offence on what would have been the second day of the trial on the June 3 June but decided to change his plea to not guilty before the case went any further.
After a hearing on October 30, the judge ordered that his original pleas had to stand and today Munro was sentenced.
The court heard Munro attacked on his 47-year-old wife on Sunday November 2 last year, stabbing her numerous times at the family home in Culcheth.
Emergency services were alerted when they received a call from inside the house where screaming could be heard along with the calm voice of Munro in the background.
When police officers arrived at the property they found Munro behind a summerhouse in the garden where he was arrested before being taken into custody.
His wife Clare was found in the kitchen with serious injuries and was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.
Detective Inspector Steve Jones of Cheshire Police’s Major Investigation Team (MIT) said; “This was a vicious and sustained attack on a defenceless woman, who tried despite her injuries to calm her husband down and stop any further attacks.”
Munro was described as an extremely controlling man who used his expert knowledge of IT systems to keep tabs on his wife, employing various sophisticated pieces of equipment and software to follow her movements and monitor her phone and computer.
DI Jones added: “As well as the loss of Clare, her family have been made to wait for justice through Munro’s continued manipulative and Controlling behaviour and attempts to avoid justice.
“Our thoughts are with the family who have been incredibly brave through this distressing time and I can only hope that the sentence today will bring them some sense that justice has been done for her.”
Munro will not be considered for release for a minimum of 27 years.
After the hearing, the family issued the following statement: “Clare was quite simply a magical person. She was a pillar of her community in which she was hugely respected and admired. Nobody had a bad word to say about her. She was an outstanding Mum to her three beautiful and brave children and a loving daughter, sister and aunt. She is sorely missed by everyone she knew, and has a left an irreparable hole in many people’s lives.
“It is hard enough to deal with the death of a loved one through sickness, accident or old age, but Clare’s untimely death was premeditated by a cruel and evil monster, whom until this day has tried to control not only Clare throughout her life but events surrounding and leading up to the trial. He feels no remorse or regret.
“His selfishness and indifference is no more than contempt for the life he has cruelly snubbed out, and for the family that he has destroyed.
“Once the true gravity was realised of what had happened last November, seeking justice for Clare has been the only option for her family. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank the police and the Crown Prosecution Service, who have worked tirelessly to solve and secure a conviction for this hideous crime. Their support and commitment has been second to none.
“We would also like to thank the close knit community of Culcheth for their unwavering support over an incredibly difficult time and also our wonderful family and friends for their overwhelming support and understanding during the last eleven months. It has been greatly appreciated and we would not have survived this ordeal without them.
“We also ask that people should remember Clare for the generous, loving, beautiful person she was and for the love that she had for her children. That love remains with them and makes them what they are today and it shall continue to inspire them for the rest of their lives.
“Lastly, the family now ask that our privacy is respected and that we are allowed to grieve in peace while we try and rebuild our lives.”
