A judge has praised the family of murdered Jade Ward after they had to endure listening to her killer's "falsehoods and slurs" during court proceedings.
Russell Norman James Marsh, of Shotton, was found guilty on Wednesday of murdering his estranged wife Jade Marsh, also known as Jade Ward, in the summer of 2021. The mum of his four children w as slashed, stabbed and strangled in her own bed in the box room of her home - just yards away from where their children slept.
Jurors heard during the trial at Mold Crown Court her mutilated body was later buried under a pile of clothes, reports NorthWalesLive. Marsh accepted that his unlawful actions directly resulted in Ms Ward's death by asphyxiation - admitting to police that he'd 'done something terrible' - but maintained he was innocent of her murder.
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During the proceedings, Marsh had claimed a "white noise" had come over him in the moments before hear death, bringing on a blackout. When he came to, he alleged he found her dead.
He also claimed earlier in the trial Ms Ward had wanted to drive him to suicide for his life insurance. But the jury took just hours to find Marsh guilty of his estranged wife's murder.
Members of Ms Ward's family and friends leaned over the public gallery yesterday to thank the jury following the result. They also applauded jurors as they left the court building.
After the verdict was delivered by the foreman of the jury, Judge Rhys Rowlands told the court Ms Ward had suffered a "brutal" attack at the hands of her "jealous" ex-husband, making her pay the ultimate price for "moving on" after their relationship broke down.
Addressing Marsh, Judge Rowlands said: "I watched you throughout this trial and you haven't shown the slightest bit of remorse. There can only be one sentence for murder and that is of life imprisonment."
He also commended Ms Ward's friends and family for their "remarkable" restraint after listening to "falsehoods and slurs" aimed at Ms Ward and her family during the trial. He said: "It can't have been easy for them."
Marsh will be sentenced in Mold Crown Court next week for the murder.
