Man Murders Wife After She Demanded A Divorce

A spurned husband has battered his wife to death with an ornamental wooden elephant.

Devendra Singh, 33, attacked Charlotte Smith with the object after she demanded a divorce.

Charlotte, 42, died due to “sustained and extreme blunt force trauma”.

Singh then tried to dispose of evidence and left his home in Leek, Staffs, before returning days later and handing himself in.

He has admitted killing his wife but claimed that he suffered a “loss of control”.

Philip Bennetts QC said of last September’s attack: “Bone was smashed and shattered. The amount of force used was effectively off the scale. It was beyond severe, it was extreme.”

Singh told police his wife once picked up a knife when they rowed violently.