Former soldier who stabbed wife to death outside home in Barnsley is jailed for life

A 41-year-old man from Barnsley who admitted killing his estranged wife has been sentenced to life in prison, serving a minimum of term of 18-and-a-half years.

Craig Woodhall pleaded guilty to murder at a previous hearing and was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court today on Friday 2 October.

Victoria Woodhall, 31, was stabbed multiple times on Sunday 29 March this year.

Craig Woodhall's machete attack on the 31-year-old outside their home in Barnsley, was witnessed by horrified neighbours and two children, Sheffield Crown Court was told on Friday.

The judge heard that the defendant told neighbours who tried to help Mrs Woodhall "She deserved it" and that she had been winding him up all day.

The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC, said Woodhall struck his wife with multiple blows from a kukri machete, stepping away at times and coming back to inflict more terrible injuries before driving off.

Judge Richardson said the whole incident was caught on CCTV but the "chilling" footage was too disturbing to be shown in court.

He told the defendant he "brutally and relentlessly stabbed her with the kukri," saying she was lying on the ground, "defenceless against the ferocity of your attack with the murderous weapon".

The judge said the "unrelenting brutality" of the attack was one of the aggravating factors in the case, along with the fact that it was witnessed by children.

He said: "Your conduct may only be characterised as merciless, determined, sustained and savage in the extreme."

The court heard that Mrs Woodhall had recently left the family home in Windsor Crescent, Barnsley, to live with another man just as the coronavirus lockdown began.

The judge said she probably left because "she had had enough of your controlling and possessive behaviour".

He heard that the couple married in 2013 but the relationship deteriorated. On the day of her death, March 29, Mrs Woodhall returned to the couple's home but the defendant refused to let her in and he tried to report her to the police for breaking the lockdown rules.

She then began using Facebook videos to tell this to her friends. The judge said that, when Mrs Woodhall began to film her husband through the window, he "reacted with acute violence".

The court heard that Mrs Woodhall suffered terrible injuries to her face, neck and head and could not be saved despite the intervention of neighbours.

Woodhall later gave himself up to police.

The court heard that the defendant had left the Army in 2013 and was training to be a prison officer.

Mrs Woodhall was described in court as a "beautiful and talented daughter" who worked as an operation theatre technician at Rotherham General Hospital.

She landed her "dream job" after obtaining 13 GCSEs, three A-levels and a degree at Sheffield Hallam University, her father, Paul Mason, told the court.

Mr Mason said his daughter was training to work on Covid wards when she was murdered.

Following the sentencing, her family released the following statement:

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Ben Wood said: "Once more I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Victoria’s family and friends, as they try to process the loss of their loved one.

"Woodhall is a dangerous, violent individual and I am pleased he has been handed a lengthy prison term for his crime.

"I’d like to take this opportunity to recognise the efforts of the investigative team of officers and staff who worked tirelessly on this case as well as those officers who first attended the scene; all have shown compassion and professionalism throughout.

"Their relentless commitment to securing justice for Victoria and her family has led to a successful conviction for a very serious crime.

"To the witnesses at the scene, I also extend my thanks. You saw something truly horrific, but were so helpful with our initial enquiries and supportive throughout our investigation.

"I hope the wider community are also reassured by the swift action taken by police officers to apprehend Woodhall and bring him before the courts."