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Nine years for knifing his wife to death in front of children
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent30 Oct 2009
An obsessive husband who stabbed his Vodafone executive wife more than 30 times was today sentenced to nine years in jail for the killing.
Judge Guy Boney QC told Alisdair Sinclair he had "slaughtered" his wife Sally "in a frenzy of brutality" after she told him she was having an affair.
He said Mrs Sinclair, 40, had done everything she could to help her clinically depressed husband until she could take no more. The attack was partly seen by children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at the couple's £1million home in Amport, Hampshire.
Sinclair, 48, was cleared of murder by a jury at Winchester crown court but found guilty of manslaughter through diminished responsibility. The jury accepted his mental illness had substantially impaired his mind.
In August last year he used several knives to attack his wife of 21 years in the kitchen, and attempted to saw off her head. Sinclair, who was obsessed with cleanliness and hoarding cars and clothes, suffered minor injuries to his hands as his wife fought for her life.
Sentencing the former computer consultant today, the judge described him as "egotistical and self absorbed to the highest order". He added: "Your wife did everything she possibly could to support and help you and indulge your eccentricities, including spending £100,000 on three cars of the same model you hardly ever used. Sally was a very good lady who tried very hard to keep the marriage together. These efforts cost her her life."
The judge said Sinclair ignored advice in May 2006 to see his GP after a hospital visit found him to be a "stressed and anxious man". He ordered that his treatment should continue when he is released on licence.
Mrs Sinclair was head of business analysis with the mobile phone company based in Newbury, Berkshire.
Reader views (3)
All he gets for murder is 9 years? Life would sound better.
- Critch, Missouri, USA, 30/10/2009 16:27
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He may have got nine years, but it´s likely to be a life sentence for the kids who witnessed it. I dread to think what psychological harm has been inflicted on them. My thoughts are with the kids.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 30/10/2009 15:01
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Oh my god this man has been given 9 years and will probably only serve half and then he's free to roam the streets on license yet another madman let loose I give up !
- Linda Cliff, london, 30/10/2009 14:55
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