Pensioner jailed for smothering disabled wife

Peter Matthews, 80, was jailed for life at Stafford Crown Court on Friday

A disabled pensioner begged her husband not to kill her in their bed before he smothered her with a pillow, a court has heard.

Peter Matthews, 80, admitted murdering his wife of 56 years, Carol Matthews, at their home in Denton Grove, Stoke-on-Trent, in March.

Mrs Matthews, 73, was paraplegic and relied on a wheelchair since she was diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome in 2000.

On Friday, Matthews was jailed for life with a minimum term of 10 years at Stafford Crown Court.

The court heard that Mrs Matthews had been in "terrible pain" due to a blockage in her catheter in the days before her death.

This required a nurse to attend and help, with the pair losing sleep over the issue.

Despite her frailty, Mrs Matthews tried to fight her husband off as he smothered her, having pleaded with him not to kill her as they had "everything to live for".

Matthews called 999 on 22 March and admitted he had murdered his wife to "put her out of her misery" even though she did not want to die.

He told the police he had spent two days after killing her trying to take his own life.

Matthews was then taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital where he said: "I decided we had had enough".

He also told police and nurses that Mrs Matthews told him: "No Peter, don't do this" and that he wanted to die "as punishment" for what he had done.

'Extremely vulnerable'

Prosecutor David Mason KC told the court Mrs Matthews was "fiercely independent" and an "extrovert", while her husband was "quiet" but was "loving and caring, doting on his wife".

Mr Mason said: "He said the killing was not planned and accepted that Carol had not wanted him to do it.

"Carol was extremely vulnerable due to her age and her disability. This wasn't just putting a pillow over her head while she was asleep, she was awake and knew what he was doing.

"There is no doubt he loved his wife, that he did what he did not out of anger, but because she was in a lot of pain.

"While he said 'we wanted her to be put out of her misery', that is not accurate - she wanted to stay alive."

Defending Matthews, Anis Ali said the murder was the "culmination of many years of emotional and physical fragility experienced by Peter and Carol".

"He was and remains tired of life and that in itself is perhaps a demonstration of the very real stress and pain that he himself was enduring," Mr Ali said.

Jailing Matthews, Judge Kristina Montgomery KC told him: "You were both her husband and her carer and all of those who have spoken about your relationship describe it as your being devoted to her, your being a loving husband and that you doted on her.

"Throughout the last few years of your wife's life, her catheterisation had become problematic and involved your struggling to assist her and witnessing the significant pain and emotional discomfort that her predicament caused her.

"This was plainly a very challenging period in your lives but she still saw the quality in her life and wanted it to continue."