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Landowner given life sentence for murdering wife whose body has never been found
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent8 Feb 2010
A wealthy landowner was jailed for life today for the murder of his wife, whose body has never been found.
Retired teacher Kate Prout, 55, vanished from the £1.2 million farm she shared with husband Adrian during acrimonious divorce proceedings in November 2007.
Prout, 47, who owns a pipe-laying business and runs a commercial pheasant shoot, was found guilty of her murder on Friday.
Mr Justice Nigel Davis, at Bristol crown court, sentenced Prout, from Redmarley, Gloucestershire, to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years.
Mr Justice Davis told Prout: “One of the pieces of evidence that sticks in my mind is Kate Prout used to remember her parents by placing flowers on their grave. I expect her family would like to place flowers on her grave but they can't because of you.
“The truth is you allowed your temper to erupt and it was your anger that killed her. How you killed her is only known to you. You most probably did it by strangling her.”
Reader views (3)
I thought it had to be proved 'beyond reasonable doubt'?
How can this be the case without the poor woman's body?
And is the judge also a clairvoyant on the side? - 'you probably strangled her' -One for the appeal lawyers I think.
- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland, 08/02/2010 17:49
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People are often sent to prison on circumstantial evidence, however, I'm VERY surprised to see a life sentence handed down without there having been a body. There is in fact no definate proof that Kate is in fact dead.
- Daizy, Up north, 08/02/2010 17:14
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How can you send someone to Jail on Circumstantial Evidence, the guy seems pretty decent to me!
- Raminder Bhalla, Northolt, 08/02/2010 16:31
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