A MAN who killed his wife during lockdown was suffering with depression and an ‘inability to exercise self-control against a woman he hated’, a jury was told.

David Maggs is on trial at Cardiff Crown Court, accused of murdering wife Linda Maggs at their home in Pontypool on February 6 last year. The estranged couple were in the process of divorcing.

The 71-year-old denies murder but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. His defence counsel argues the defendant was suffering moderate depression at the time of the killing.

In Wednesday’s proceedings, Maggs’ defence counsel Sarah Jones led the focus of the defence on the fact that his depression – for which he was taking two types of antidepressants – led to diminished responsibility.

The court previously heard from Dr Nuwan Galappathie, a psychiatrist who interviewed Maggs after his arrest, and he told the court how the defendant was on two different types of depression – Mirtazapine and Sertraline.

He said: “To me this is unusual as most people are treated with just one medication. It suggests to me that his depression was difficult to treat.

“This is a case where there are significant mental health problems, serious mental health problems, and a very clear account of what he was going to do. This is down to his depression.

“In my opinion this is a case of diminished responsibility.

“I think his depression would have clouded his judgement and impacted his problem solving skills and his ability to exercise self-control.”

MORE NEWS:

Mrs Jones said: “Neither I nor Dr Galappathie deny that Mr Maggs expressed hatred about her [Mrs Maggs].

“Has the depression substantially impaired David Maggs’ ability to control himself through this situation? That his ability to restrain himself was substantially impaired?”

She also spoke about how the law doesn’t just hold depression as a reason for diminished responsibility but also that hatred can play a part in diminished responsibility.

She continued: “Through this trial you would have been able to see the dock and you have probably spent a great deal of time seeing Mr Maggs and the effect the events have had on him.”

Mrs Jones read out part of Maggs' police interview where he said that there were gaps in his memory of the events that happened. She highlighted how Dr Galappathie confirmed that this was normal.

She also reiterated testimony from Maggs’s son who said that he shied away from confrontation and how the court heard that during arguments, Mrs Maggs would be louder than the defendant. Mrs Jones also told how Mrs Maggs herself had previously said that the defendant would never hurt her.

The trial continues.