A WOMAN has been cleared of murdering Redditch man David McTighe following a second trial.

A jury has acquitted 51-year-old Wendy Marklew, who had been accused of murdering David McTighe, who was known as Simon, who was found dead in Abbeydale after suffering serious head injuries.

Ms Marklew, whose last known address was at Geraldine Court in Malvern, appeared at Birmingham Crown Court accused of the murder.

An initial murder trial started on Wednesday, October 4 and lasted 12 days but the jury could not reach a majority verdict.

So a second murder trial begun on Tuesday, October 24, and Ms Marklew was acquitted by a jury after six days.

Afterwards, a spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said that the jury “could not be sure she had committed the act of murder”.

Mr McTighe, who was 43, was found dead at his home in Seymour Drive on June 13 last year.

Police were called to the property by the ambulance service at around 1.40am.

Ms Marklew was charged with murder on December 8.

This followed West Mercia Police extending the time that they were allowed to question Ms Marklew, after officers arrested her on June 21.

A post-mortem examination had found that the cause of the injuries which killed Mr McTighe’s were suspicious, prompting a police investigation.

Ms Marklew appeared before His Honour Judge Robert Juckes QC at Worcester Crown Court on Friday, December 9.

At that hearing, Ms Marklew wept at one point and put her hands over her eyes.

Distraught family members and friends paid tribute to Mr McTighe after his death.

They spoke of their shock and described McTighe as a “top bloke” and “legend”.

It is not yet known whether police will start a fresh investigation into the death of Mr McTighe.