A controlling husband's secret life of messaging other women culminated in a horrifically violent attempt to murder his own wife with a hammer.
David Maggs, 65, flew into a rage after his wife of four decades, Sian, discovered his infidelities. Instead of remorse, he plotted her cold-blooded murder to avoid a messy and expensive divorce.
The attack was as calculated as it was brutal. Maggs waited for his 62-year-old wife to fall asleep in their Nottingham home before he struck.
A Vicious and Premeditated Assault
Armed with a hammer, he rained down blows on her head as she slept. The court heard how Sian awoke to the terrifying sensation of the brutal impact, screaming "What are you doing?" as her husband continued his vicious assault.
She fought for her life, managing to grab the hammer during the struggle. In a desperate bid for survival, she even pretended to be dead, hoping her husband would stop. The attack only ended when their son, awoken by the commotion, intervened and called emergency services.
A Chilling Motive Revealed
During the trial at Nottingham Crown Court, the prosecution revealed Maggs's chilling motive. He saw murder as a "cheaper alternative to divorce" and had coldly stated his intention to kill her just days before the attack.
Sian Maggs suffered life-altering injuries, including a fractured skull and significant bleeding on the brain. Her road to recovery has been long and painful, both physically and psychologically.
David Maggs was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to 18 years in prison. The judge condemned his "cowardly and ferocious" attack on a vulnerable and sleeping victim.
