Keith Foster, 66, a sunbed business owner from Lindisfarne Drive in Croxteth, subjected his terminally ill wife to a campaign of abuse, including urinating into cups and bottles she drank from, a court heard. Liverpool Crown Court was told on October 7 that Foster had "lost the plot" after turning to drink and drugs following his wife's cancer diagnosis. A judge told him he should be "utterly ashamed" of his actions.
Abuse caught on CCTV
The court heard how Foster and his partner entered a relationship in 2004 before marrying in 2009. Their marriage was said to have "issues and problems", with some relating to the couple's business. Foster's behaviour "deteriorated" over time and "caused her concern", the court heard.
David Polglase, prosecuting, described how the victim was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in November 2023 and began undergoing chemotherapy before her brother-in-law died in August 2024. Between January 2024 and January 2025, Foster subjected her to a catalogue of controlling and abusive conduct, including making "degrading comments", locking her out of their home, being "physically intimidating", and threatening to harm her elderly parents.
Threats and intimidation
Mr Polglase said: "After that bereavement, the defendant was angered by the fact that [the victim's] will, which she says the defendant found on going through her belongings, left items and the house to three of the children and a portion of her business to him. The defendant was angered by having to share the business with her eldest two daughters."
The victim initiated divorce proceedings around August 2024, with both continuing to live in the same house but "staying apart as much as possible". This led to a "hostile environment" in the home, with Foster having been a "heavy drinker who would make horrible comments in drink" and "use his stature to intimidate her, standing over her and being in her face" as well as punching walls.
After "accusing her of having an affair with a priest who she had hugged after a family event", he made "particularly unpleasant" remarks, accompanied by frequent insults including "slut, slag and gold digger". Foster locked her and her eldest daughter out of the property when they returned from a family party on Halloween and after she had attended a concert with a friend. He also "locked her out in the rain" when she arrived home from a trip to London.
Secret CCTV and police involvement
Suspicions over Foster's behaviour led his step-daughter to set up a CCTV system in her bedroom, with her mum having then done likewise in her own room, the living room, and the kitchen. This came after the former discovered that he had "mixed a bottle of water with what she suspected was urine or cleaning fluid", having left her "feeling nauseous" when she had taken a drink from this.
With his step-daughter also having fallen ill after drinking a coffee which Foster had made for her, the cameras caught him "urinating into crockery in the kitchen", with three further clips capturing him filling bottles in her room with a yellow liquid. Mr Polglase added: "He is clearly unaware or does not care that he is being videoed."
Police were called to the family home on the morning of January 26 last year, with Foster denying his crimes after being arrested and taken into custody at Copy Lane Police Station. Mr Polglase said of a statement written to the court by his now ex-wife: "She says that, when she had no immunity, her health was endangered by the defendant's behaviour."
Her daughter, a paramedic, detailed in her statement how she had "lived with the defendant from a young age", with Mr Polglase telling the court: "She was frightened about how far the defendant's behaviour had gone and reinforced feelings of having to protect herself at home. She described that as degrading behaviour."
Defence and remorse
Foster has a total of 10 previous convictions for 17 offences, including robbery as a youth in 1978 and being jailed for wounding with intent in 1991. He has no appearances since a drink driving matter in 2007.
Carmel Wilde, defending, said on his behalf: "The defendant has expressed remorse for his offending behaviour and taken responsibility for his actions and quite rightly described his behaviour as abhorrent. It is disgusting behaviour. It is sneaky. The defendant should be, and is, ashamed of himself."
She added: "Quite rightly, the defendant has said, putting it mildly, that he lost plot. He did not deal very well with the diagnosis of his wife's cancer. He turned to alcohol as a means of self management when he should have been supporting his wife through a dreadful time for her. He further admits that he was using cocaine and drinking."
Foster has been cooperating with the community mental health team, with counselling and attending, of his own volition, drug and alcohol support. He is no longer using drugs and drinking alcohol socially, in a responsible way. With his son, he is trying to get their business back up running, rebuilding the sunbed business and repairing a flat so that they can both live there. They are currently living with the defendant's 93-year-old mother, who is unable to leave the flat. Foster has pension credits of £523 a month and is starting to make some profits of around £400 a week on the sunbeds.
