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A man from Manchester who sexually assaulted and killed his wife has been jailed for 16 years.
Melvyn Edwards, 59, was found guilty at Manchester Crown Court of two counts of rape and the manslaughter of Juliet Edwards.
At around 4.10am on Saturday 23rd July last year, emergency services were called to a house on Great Western Street, Moss Side, following reports a 48-year-old woman had suffered a serious injury.
Officers arrived on the scene to find Mr Edwards cradling his wife's unconscious form. She was rushed to hospital but passed away shortly after arrival.
A post mortem revealed that Mrs Edwards died from a single stab wound to the neck. Medical examiners also confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted.
Mr Edwards, who was living separately from his wife at the time, told investigating officers he became suspicious when passing Mrs Edwards's residence on the way home from a party because he saw a light on.
He claims that he let himself into the property with his key and found his wife with a serious neck wound.
Mr Edwards was initially arrested on suspicious of assault, but later charged with rape and manslaughter following the coroner's report.
It later emerged that Mrs Edwards confided in family members about numerous incidents of domestic violence at the hands of her husband. She also told them that he raped her in May 2011.
In a statement, Juliet’s family said “No sentence in the world could ever give us back our mother. The sentence of 16 years passed today is of no comfort to us and we are simply left numb.
“It does however provide some form of closure for us, her children, and the rest of the family in so far as everyone now knows the truth of what Melvyn Edwards did to our mother.
“We can now finally allow our mum to rest in peace.”
Detective Chief Inspector Joanne Rawlinson said: “This is a very sad and tragic case that has understandably left a family truly devastated.
“During their relationship, Juliet was raped and suffered a number of domestic violence incidents.
“She found the strength to leave her abusive relationship and end her marriage, making it clear that there was no chance of reconciliation.
“This unfortunately led to a further rape and her unnecessary death and reflects the kind of controlling and violent person Melvyn Edwards is.
“I hope this sentencing can go some way to helping Mrs Edwards’ loved ones get their lives back on track and feeling that some kind of justice has been served.
“I would ask anyone who has been a victim of rape or sexual assault to contact Greater Manchester Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency. GMP has specially trained officers in place to provide a first class response to victims and help support them through the criminal justice process.”
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