A Durham postman who murdered his wife by stabbing her 68 times in a “jealous rage” has been jailed for life.
Harry Turner, 55, subjected his wife, Sally Turner to a “brutal and violent attack” and used two knives to cause 78 horrific wounds to her body. Two of those 68 separate blows had fractured or otherwise damaged Sally’s bones and must therefore have been inflicted with severe force, a court heard.
Damage to Sally’s jugular vein, trachea, lungs, spleen and kidney had led to fatal blood loss. A slash wound across Sally’s throat occurred at or near the end of Turner’s attack on her, which was carried out on June 22, 2022. The vicious murder was committed amid the breakdown of their marriage, and Turner had become jealous after Sally had begun to have an affair with a taxi driver.
Turner, of Tiree Close, Brandon, Durham, was convicted by a jury last year of Sally’s murder and jailed for life, but that was quashed by the Court of Appeal and he faced a retrial. This week, a second jury unanimously found him guilty of murder and he was jailed for life at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday.
Turner had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murdering 50-year-old Sally. He claimed he had lost control after she told him he would never see their grandchildren again but jurors found him guilty after around three hours of deliberations.
Sally and Harry Turner had married in 2017 but by early 2022, the marriage was breaking down and Sally had begun to have an affair with a taxi driver, saying Turner no longer showed her any love and had become an alcoholic.
On Good Friday 2022, April 15, Sally returned her wedding ring to Turner and told him that their marriage was over. He later told a friend that he and Sally were splitting up because of her affair. Notwithstanding the breakdown of their marriage, they continued to live in the same house, albeit sleeping in different rooms.
During the trial, prosecutor Craig Hassall KC said: “There had been clear difficulties in Sally and the defendant’s marriage for some time before Sally’s death, and the evidence suggests that each spouse blamed the other for the breakdown of the marriage.”
Following a fractious relationship between the two, Turner moved out and their relationship appeared to improve. Text messages from Sally to Turner say that she was committed to him as his wife and she was looking forward to their future together. Unbeknown to him however, Sally was continuing her sexual relationship with the taxi driver.
On June 22 2022, Turner and Sally went together to a café and CCTV footage of their journey there shows them holding hands as they walked. At exactly the same time, the taxi driver was sending a sexual text message to Sally. After the café, they walked hand in hand back to the address where Turner was staying. Sally trimmed his beard for him. However, a little before 11am, Turner stabbed Sally to death, the court heard.
Examination of the address at Cuthbert Avenue in County Durham revealed that Sally had first been attacked in the living room and then attacked further as she fled into the hallway and towards the front door. A blood-stained knife, the blade of which had been bent by impact with a hard object was found in the kitchen. A second knife which had also been used to stab Sally was found underneath her body. Turner had left his wedding ring on the floor beside Sally’s body.
(Image: Durham Constabulary)
In a heartfelt victim statement, Sally’s daughter, Ronnie Beamish, said: “When my mum was taken away suddenly and in such a cruel manner, I can’t put into words the devastating impact. She was the person I expected to be around forever to give me guidance and support, love and friendship. Harry has taken that all away.” Ronnie added that things “will never be the same again”.
In mitigation, Andrew Ford KC, said Turner had no previous convictions and that the murder was “wholly out of his character”. He said the attack was committed during a “period of significant personal decline”. He added: “That’s all I can say about the incident…he is conscious of the loss he’s caused, he remains very upset a lot of the time.”
Sentencing him, Justice Lambert said he launched a “brutal and violent attack” on Sally in a “jealous rage”. She said: “It is not clear how long the attack lasted, but it must have lasted some time.
“The reason [for the murder] was you were jealous of her relationship with another man. She had removed her wedding ring, which was a deeply symbolic gesture.”
Justice Lambert added that Turner had shown an “absence of remorse or sympathy” during the trial and displayed “overwhelming self-pity” and portrayed himself as a “pathetic victim”. Turner was jailed for life, with a minimum term of 18 years.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/durham-postman-who-murdered-wife-29231985
