Husband who claimed he found wife 'hanging' jailed for her murder

A man who claimed he found his wife 'hanging' has been jailed for her murder. Ryan Timms, of The Green, Hartshill, has been sentenced to life with a minimum of 19 years in prison, Warwickshire Police said.

The police force said that it had received a call from ambulance crews about a woman in cardiac arrest after reportedly being discovered hanging by her husband at 3:53am on Monday, July 31, last year. Ambulance services took the woman to hospital, where, despite best efforts, she died four-days later.

Officers had noticed there were some inconsistencies in the story the 44-year-old was providing when they had initially attended the house. An assault had supposedly taken place upstairs, with Timms having taken his wife's body downstairs afterwards, police said.

READ MORE: Arrest in Smethwick Porsche crash after tragic death of boy, two, in 'hit-and-run'

Members of the ambulance crew and attending officers observed it would have been difficult to have accomplished this, with items cluttering a steep and narrow staircase. Post-mortem examinations showed evidence not in keeping with a hanging as cause of death and supported that a "neck hold" was the likely cause of death, police said.

Police undertook a meticulous investigation supported with expert evidence which led to being able to arrest Timms for a second occasion on suspicion of murder on June 4. He was found guilty of murder and sentenced at Warwick Crown Court.

DCI Collette O’Keefe said “The prompt actions and meticulous attention to detail by the police and ambulance personnel established the foundation of the investigation. The death of this woman could easily have been categorised as a suicide if it wasn’t for the professional curiosity of attending officers and paramedics.

“The investigation into this death has been challenging and complex. There were a number of inconsistencies at the scene identified by the attending officers and paramedics which prompted the arrest of Ryan Timms. Ryan was arrested shortly after the woman was discovered. What followed was a comprehensive and intricate review of the couple’s life.

“She had suffered in silence for many years. The relationship was toxic and she suffered alone in silence. She kept the domestic abuse hidden from family, friends, and work colleagues. It was evident that she had wanted to leave. Our officers didn’t believe Ryan’s account that she had taken her own life. There were too many inconsistencies in his story.

“I would like to thank them for their curiosity, and to also thank the team who have worked tirelessly on this investigation for their perseverance and diligence. Nothing will bring her back, but I hope this outcome will bring reassurance to her family that justice has been done.

“We encourage any and all victims of domestic violence to come forward and tell us about it so we can prevent tragic events like this from happening in future.” If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic abuse or violence, support is available.

Find out more about reporting it or finding help on the police's website: www.warwickshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/