Michael Davies, 58, is due to be sentenced at Newport Crown Court after being found guilty of murdering his wife Tracey Davies, 48, who was discovered face down and lifeless in her bed at their home in Bridgend.
Davies strangled his wife at their home in Bryn Terrace, Cefn Cribwr, on April 18, after returning from his security job in Abu Dhabi just a week before. He had complained to family and friends of suffering from mental health issues in the week before the murder and expressed feelings of jealousy about his wife.
Guilty verdict and family statements
The defendant had admitted the manslaughter of Mrs Davies but denied murder. He was found guilty of murder by a jury following a trial at Newport Crown Court in September. Judge Daniel Williams had said: "You have been convicted by the jury of the murder of Mrs Davies. The only sentence available to the court in those circumstances is a sentence of life imprisonment."
At the sentencing hearing, junior prosecutor James Willson read out statements on behalf of Tracey Davies' family. The public gallery was full with members of her family, and Davies was in the dock wearing a black suit, white shirt and a maroon tie.
Discovery and injuries
Mrs Davies' body and the injured Davies were found after family members became concerned for their welfare. A man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gained entry to the property and was met by "the smell of death" and found Mrs Davies dead, with her colour drained and appearing yellow and grey, according to prosecutor Mark Cotter KC.
Davies was also found to have suffered injuries, including a laceration to his neck and a wound to the left side of his chest. He was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, and following his discharge, he described the moment he killed Mrs Davies, saying: "I just found myself on my knees, putting my knees on her shoulder, putting my hands on her neck and started squeezing her neck. I had no understanding of what was going on in my hands to the woman I loved but I just wanted to keep strangling her."
Background and sentencing
Davies had made a number of Google searches for terms such as "paranoia", "how to fight paranoia", and "how to stop paranoid thoughts in a relationship" before the murder. The court heard he was working for a security firm in Abu Dhabi but returned to Wales on April 11 due to mental health issues.
The jury retired to deliberate at 12.03pm on Thursday, September 10, and returned just before 11am on Friday, finding Davies guilty of murder. The court must now determine the minimum period he must serve before the parole board will consider it safe to release him.
