Infidelity could be scrapped as murder defence
By politics.co.uk staff
Spouses who kill their partners after finding them cheating will no longer be able to escape a murder charge by claiming they had lost control, if new legislation is passed today.
The change in the law means any defence which relies on the accused suffering from “diminished responsibility” after being provoked by the infidelity of their partner will no longer hold up.
In the past the law that allowed people to escape the charge of murder this way was been heavily criticised in some areas of society.
The defence was used by Wadanahalugeder Chandrasekera, who killed her husband after she found he had fathered a child by his niece, in 2006.
Her husband Sarath, 57, died from multiple injuries after she struck him 11 times with an axe.
The Sri Lankan-born health visitor spent ten months in prison on remand, but was freed by a judge at Woolwich Crown Court who was told she had suffered years of emotional abuse at the hands of Mr Chandrasekera.
Mental illness and genuine fear of one’s safety will still be considered a cause for “diminished responsibility”.
