A PENSIONER who killed his wife while she lay in bed has been found guilty of murder.

David Maggs, 71, stabbed his wife Linda, 74, 15 times in the chest at the home they shared in Lansdowne, Sebastopol, on the morning of February 6, 2021.

The couple had been going through a divorce, and were essentially living separate lives under the same roof.

The retired accountant admitted killing Linda, but denied murder – instead pleading guilty to manslaughter by grounds of diminished responsibility, specifically that he was suffering from depression at the time.

However, the jury returned shortly after 2pm on Tuesday, February 1, and found him guilty of murder.

Over the course of the trial, the court heard the couple had been together for almost 30 years, but their relationship had ended in March 2020.

In the months leading up to Mrs Maggs’ death, her husband grew obsessed with the idea that she was hiding money from him.

The jury was played a recording of the 999 call made by Maggs after killing his wife – as well as bodycam footage recorded by Gwent Police officers as they arrested him at his home.

In the 999 recording, Maggs can be heard asking for police and he said: “I just killed my wife.”

He then repeats: “I think I just killed the wife.” After providing the address and confirming he was still at the address, Maggs said to call an ambulance “just in case”.

When asked what happened, he said: “I stabbed her”.

He told the call handler how his wife was in bed, and when asked if there was a lot of blood, he replied “yeah”.

Maggs is heard telling the call handler “I just lost it”.

On being told he was under arrest for murder, Maggs was heard telling officers that he “had enough” and when asked what he meant, he replied: “She tried to steal two houses off me. Two houses for god’s sake.”

The jury at Cardiff Crown Court heard evidence from Dr Nuwan Galappathie, a psychiatrist who interviewed Mr Maggs after his arrest.  

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

However, Dr Thomas Wynne, who also assessed Maggs, told the court: “I wasn’t convinced there was an impairment due to mental disorder on the day of the offence.”

Maggs will be sentenced for murder at a later date, Judge Michael Fitton QC confirmed.