Pathologist gives evidence at trial of man who strangled his wife in their bedroom – live updates

The trial of a man from Bridgend who killed his wife is entering its fifth day on Friday. Michael Davies, 57, is on trial at Newport Crown Court accused of murdering his wife Tracey Davies, 48, at their home at Bryn Terrace, Cefn Cribwr, near Bridgend, on April 18 last year.

He denies murder but accepts that he killed her, and has told police he did so by strangling her between 7.30am and 8am that morning.

On the fourth day of the trial, the court heard details of his police interview in which Davies outlined how he killed his wife.

Davies told officers he didn’t have control of what he was doing, saying: “I loved her to bits but I didn’t seem to have any understanding over my hands. I’m not sure what I was even doing. I just wanted to keep strangling her.”

Tracey was found dead on a bed in one of the bedrooms. The defendant had cuts to his throat and leg and was found slumped behind the bedroom door.

In the police interview, the defendant told officers that after Ms Davies came into the bedroom he put his hands on her neck and started squeezing. He said he kept the pressure on her neck but he didn’t understand what was going on, and he said he kept trying to squeeze her neck and wanted to keep strangling her.

He told officers he then had “an overwhelming feeling” to get a knife from the kitchen and said he had a feeling to put the knife into himself. He then said he couldn’t remember anything else until he woke up in the UHW.

When asked whether he had intended to kill his wife, he replied, “not at all”. Davies said his mind was so broken he didn’t know what his intention was.

So far, the jury has heard the distressing account he gave police of how he took her life, as well as evidence from the accused’s daughter and healthcare professionals.

Davies, of Cefn Road in Bridgend, denies murdering his wife, on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The trial continues.

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