Northampton man who murdered his wife of 30 years dies in prison

Colin Adlard hit his wife repeatedly with a hammer at their home in a Northamptonshire village, his 2011 trial heard

A man who murdered his wife of 30 years with a hammer while she slept died of heart failure in prison, aged 72.

Colin Adlard was serving a life sentence for killing Wendy Adlard at their home near Northampton in 2011.

He died at HMP Gartree in Leicestershire on 20 June last year.

An investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) revealed Adlard also had long-term health conditions including kidney disease and anaemia.

During his trial in 2011, Northampton Crown Court heard Adlard, then 61, hit his wife three times at their home at Chase Park Road in Yardley Hastings in January of that year.

He was jailed after pleading guilty to murder and was told he must serve at least 16 years before being considered for parole.

The PPO report said Adlard was in "poor health" and was provided with a wheelchair as his mobility worsened.

He was under palliative care and had signed a do-not-resuscitate order.