Wife Jailed For Stabbing Husband To Death

A wife who stabbed her husband to death in their luxury penthouse apartment after rowing over their troubled buy-to-let empire has been jailed for three years and eight months.

66-year-old Jennifer Parkinson was cleared of the murder of Michael Parkinson by a jury at Winchester Crown Court in April but she admitted manslaughter on the basis of no intent at the start of her trial.

She stabbed retired headteacher Mr Parkinson, 63, at the £330,000 flat in Sanderling Lodge, Rope Quays, Gosport, on March 22 last year.

Sentencing, Judge Guy Boney QC said that "hot tempered and feisty'' Parkinson has used the five-inch kitchen knife to "devastating effect'' after she "snapped and lost control'' during the drunken row.

He said he accepted her anguish and remorse over what she had done was deeply felt but he added:

"You took your husband's life and ruined what is left of your own.''

He said that the fact her husband had forced her to drop the knife during the row and then she had deliberately regained possession and plunged it into his chest was an aggravating factor.

The seven-day trial heard the couple had rowed all day and it started with Mr Parkinson blaming his wife for buying around 20 properties in Rutland and Yorkshire that lost them money - something Parkinson said had upset her as it went back on a promise not to blame each other.

The pair had been losing £4,000 a month through the properties bought between 2006 and 2009 due to rising interest rates and flooding and they had been forced to live in a motor-home for a time.

But in recent months, the financial situation had improved and the couple had a £2000-a-month profit.

Mr Parkinson suffered three stab wounds with the most severe wound entering his body below his left arm, fracturing a rib, puncturing his lung and damaging his aorta causing "catastrophic'' blood loss from which he died in hospital.

Giving evidence to the jury, Parkinson said she never meant to hurt her husband and had brandished the knife at him during the row to try to "stop him in his tracks''.

"We loved each other. I was proud of being his wife of 20 years. There was no way I wanted him seriously injured or dead. I will miss him for the rest of my life,'' she said.

In mitigation, John Coffey QC, said:

"Her punishment began on the day these fateful events took place. Her remorse will stay with her until her dying day.''