Ponteland woman Janet Dunn jailed after smothering husband with a pillow

A woman has been jailed after killing her husband of more than 50 years by smothering him with a pillow.

Janet Dunn, 73, held a pillow over the face of her husband Anthony Dunn, 81, following a disagreement over their finances.

His body was found by their oldest daughter at their home in Darras Hall, Ponteland, in Northumberland, on 15 March.

Dunn, of Beech Court, was jailed for five years and three months during a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday 25 August.

She had been due to stand trial for murder, but on Monday pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility.

The court heard Dunn had been the victim of coercive and controlling behaviour during the course of their 53-year marriage.

After killing her husband, she travelled to nearby beauty spot, Bolam Lake, and attempted to end her life.

She was discovered unconscious by a dog walker and was taken to hospital. She was arrested in the early hours of the following day.

In the months leading up to Mr Dunn's death he had become increasingly verbally abusive as he struggled to deal with the death of the couple's middle daughter, Heather, who was 47 when she died last September.

Peter Glenser QC, prosecuting, said Mr Dunn had not been physically violent but had a "quick temper" and was verbally abusive and controlling.

He said the marriage had problems caused by financial crises, which resulted in visits from bailiffs, a house being repossessed, bankruptcy and Dunn having to repeatedly ask her father and daughters for money.

On the morning of her husband's death, Dunn had confronted him over money and became angry when he responded by smiling at her.

Mr Glenser said: "As she confronted him he smiled at her and said for her to sort the money. That made her angry and she wanted him to stop smiling so she picked up a pillow and covered his face because she didn’t want to see him anymore."

The court heard psychiatrists had assessed Dunn and said she suffered from depressive episodes and an anxiety disorder, and added she was subjected to coercive control.

They concluded her ability to form a rational judgement had been "substantially impaired".

John Elvidge QC, mitigating, said: "This is an extraordinary case. It’s extremely sad and distressing.

"The mental disorder is likely to have resulted from her relationship with her husband. He was dominant and she was passive and compliant and incapable of extricating herself from the situation.

"The business dealings of Mr Dunn were blindly optimistic and repeated promises of riches to come were never fulfilled and the financial situation was precarious.

"In spite of it all she did love her husband and she is desperately sorry for taking his life and what she has done to their daughters."

Jailing her for five years and three months, Judge Paul Sloan said: "He was domineering and exercised control over many aspects of your life. While not physically violent he was verbally abusive.

"As a result of his behaviour your confidence and self esteem was eroded. You were socially isolated and became submissive and wholly dependent on your husband.

"After decades of compliance and submission it was the smile that caused you to snap. The anger and frustration you had repressed for years boiled over."

He added: "There is no sentence I could impose that could ever begin to repair the damage that has been wrought in this case."

Following the guilty plea, Detective Chief Inspector Matt Steel, said: “This has been an incredibly awful case which I’m sure will have shocked the local community, and has resulted in the death of Mr Dunn.

“Our thoughts remain with his family as they continue to come to terms with this tragic incident. This guilty plea will spare them a trial and the added stress that can bring.

“I would like to thank the hard work of all the officers involved. It has been an incredibly difficult investigation but their commitment to finding justice has resulted in a detailed evidential file and a guilty plea.

“Hopefully the family can now look to move forward with their grief and find some closure with this result.”

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