Disabled woman, 73, smothered by husband, 80, with pillow as she tried to fight him off

A man has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 10 years for killing his disabled wife of 56 years.

Peter Matthews, 80, killed his wife Carol, 73, who was paraplegic, at their home in Denton Grove, Weston Coyney, Stoke-on-Trent, in March.

Stafford Crown Court heard that Mrs Matthews pleaded with her husband not to kill her and tried to fight him off as he smothered her.

Matthews called 999 and admitted he had killed his wife to “put her out of her misery” even though she did not want to die. He spent two days after killing her trying to take his own life.

'I decided we had had enough'

Prosecutor David Mason KC told the court Carol Matthews was “fiercely independent” and an “extrovert”, while her husband was “quiet” but was “loving and caring, doting on his wife”.

When police arrived at their home, Matthews was taken to the Royal Stoke Hospital, where he commented that their sleep had been disturbed and “I decided we had had enough”.

He also told police and nurses that Mrs Matthews told him: “No Peter, don’t do this” and that he wanted to die “as punishment” for what he had done.

Mr Mason said: “He said the killing was not planned and accepted that Carol had not wanted him to do it.

"Carol was extremely vulnerable due to her age and her disability. This wasn’t just putting a pillow over her head while she was asleep, she was awake and knew what he was doing.

It must be seen that he was full and frank with his admissions from the start including that Carol told him to stop but he carried on regardless.”

'He was and remains tired of life'

Defending Matthews, Anis Ali said the murder was the “culmination of many years of emotional and physical fragility experienced by Peter and Carol”.

He said: “They enjoyed together many decades of happy marriage, a married life he valued but of late, the difficulties experienced as a result of Carol’s medical condition and indeed his own mental health, led to the unfortunate event.

"He was and remains tired of life and that in itself is perhaps a demonstration of the very real stress and pain that he himself was enduring.“

Jailing Matthews, Judge Kristina Montgomery KC said he killed his wife because he “could not bear witness to her suffering”, but said Mrs Matthews wanted to live.

She said: “You were both her husband and her carer and all of those who have spoken about your relationship describe it as your being devoted to her, your being a loving husband and that you doted on her.

“This was plainly a very challenging period in your lives but she still saw the quality in her life and wanted it to continue.”

He was given a 10-year minimum sentence, reduced to nine years and 228 days due to time already served on remand.

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