A HIGH Court judge told killer David Venables he had perpetrated the gravest of crimes as she sentenced him to life in prison.
High Court Judge Mrs Justice Tipples told Venables he had shown no remorse for killing his wife, and was responsible for many aspects of her mental illness before her death.
After a five week trial a jury had found the 89-year-old killed Brenda Venables at Quaking Farm house in Kempsey in 1982, and placed her body in a septic tank.
Sentencing him at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge Tipples told Venables: “I am sure you killed Brenda Venables to remove her from your life and the complications she may have presented to you in any divorce proceedings.
“There is no doubt an element of greed and selfishness.”
Venables had reported Brenda missing to police on May 4, 1982 - but the judge told him the reality was he had already killed his wife and hid the body by that point.
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The judge said he had then taken advantage of his wife’s depression to create a “carefully thought-out story” that she had left home in the middle of the night, apparently to take her own life.
The judge said Venables lies led to a police search, involving helicopters and equipment to check the river, costing thousands of pounds and hours of police time.
The judge said: “You killed Brenda Venables in her own home, where she was recuperating with an injured leg and suffering from depression.
"You were Brenda’s husband and she should have been able to trust you.
“Your complete lack of respect for Brenda is obvious from your decision to dispose of her body in the septic tank.
“The fact that is what you did with her body is disgusting and repulsive.”
But, she added, Venables luck ran out when his wife's remains were found in 2019, leading to his arrest.
Venables was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 18 years so is likely to die in prison, the court heard.
Venables showed no emotion throughout the judge’s lengthy sentencing remarks but could be heard shouting “no” repeatedly after he was taken out of the courtroom towards the cells.
At the end of the sentencing the judge passed her condolences to the family and friends who sat in the public gallery.
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