Man admits killing mother-of-four Jade Ward at her Flintshire home

The trial of a man accused of murdering his estranged wife has heard how her "mutilated" body was found under a pile of clothes at her Flintshire home.

Russell Marsh, 29, admitted in court on Monday (April 4) that he had killed mother-of-four Jade Ward, but said he had not intended to.

The 27-year-old's body was discovered at the former family home in Shotton on 26 August last year.

Mold Crown Court heard that the couple had been in an "on-off" relationship for around nine years and had separated on three occasions.

During one separation in summer 2019, not long after their wedding day, Mr Marsh was accused of bruising Ms Ward's wrists - but he denied having been violent with her.

The court was told the couple had split up in the summer of 2021, with Ms Ward telling close friends and family that this time the separation was "for good".

She had allegedly shared a kiss with another man at a party and was said to be “moving on” with her life.

Mr Marsh, who was described in court as "controlling", is accused of attacking Ms Ward with a knife before strangling her and then handing himself into police the next day, telling them they would find his wife dead in bed.

Police forced entry to the property and found Ms Ward's lifeless body in bed under items of clothing, with the door secured with a dressing gown cord, the jury heard.

A pathology report detailed how she had suffered multiple wounds across her body, including her face and arms, and there was evidence of defensive wounds showing she had “made efforts to fight off” an attacker.

The court was told that moments before Ms Ward’s body was discovered, Mr Marsh was filmed by officers at a police station telling them he had “done something horrible”.

Michael Jones QC, for the prosecution, said the defendant was working an overnight shift for his employer in Ellesmere Port on the night Ms Ward died.

Several hours into the shift, Mr Marsh is said to have told his supervisor he had to leave work, claiming his brother had taken an overdose and needed to go to hospital.

But Mr Jones told the court this was "completely untrue" and that evidence, including camera footage and phone masts, had instead tracked Mr Marsh to the former family home.

Mr Jones said a pathology expert concluded that Ms Ward’s “horrific” cause of death was asphyxiation that could only be carried out by another person.

Giving evidence in the witness box on Monday, the defendant accepted he killed Ms Ward by way of asphyxiation and had no lawful reason for doing so.

But he denied murder, saying he had no intent to kill or cause Ms Ward serious harm.

The trial continues.