TWISTED EXCUSE
Evil wife, 54, who battered husband to death with rolling pins says it was ‘just banter’ after years of abuse put him in wheelchair
Hannegret Donnelly was sentenced to life in prison for murdering her husband with a rolling pin
A VICIOUS wife who battered her husband to death with a rolling pin and hairbrush started a life sentence behind bars tonight.
Hannegret Donnelly, 54, even tried to pass off the cruel treatment of her husband as "banter" in police interviews.
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She embarked on what was described as long-term systematic domestic abuse of her husband, Christopher, at their family home in Aylesbury, Bucks.
When eventually found, he had at least 78 visible injuries including a broken neck and a fractured spine.
Hannegret coerced and controlled Christopher, often refusing to let him go to the toilet.
She had three rolling pins in the kitchen and used them to batter 55-year-old Mr Donnelly over the head repeatedly.
And she also pushed him down the stairs and regularly punched him in the face, a court heard.
In police interviews, Hannagret said: "We had a chase around the table in a lighthearted sort of way.
"I tried to sort things out with him in a bantering sort of way."
She also said: "I punched him on his nose severely, I was so angry with him, but he didn't have such a big cut, just a small cut."
The housewife's terrifying spree of domestic violence against her husband was only revealed when she called police — the day after he died.
Today she appeared before a crown court judge who jailed her for life and ordered that she must serve at least 16 years before being considered for parole.
She was convicted at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday and was sentenced today on one count of murder.
The jury heard that Christopher Donnelly died on March 31 last year after suffering systematic domestic abuse from Hannagret.
Evidence was found throughout their property, including blood splatters which were identified as being Christopher’s on furniture and walls.
Thames Valley Police spokesman
She divulged to officers at the scene, and later in interviews, that some weeks previously she had hit her husband over the head with a rolling pin.
A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: "Further interviews following her arrest started to reveal a picture of systematic abuse, which included regular assaults with a hairbrush, rolling pin and an admittance that she punched him in the face and pushed him down the stairs.
"Evidence was found throughout their property, including blood splatters which were identified as being Christopher’s on furniture and walls.
"At the time of his death, Christopher was found to have 78 visible injuries, including a cauliflower ear, wounds all over his head, as well as internal injuries including fractures to his scapula, spine, and neck, fractures to the cartilage in his voice box and other traumatic injuries.
"These were found to have been caused by being hit with a fist or a blunt object.
"Hannegret was charged with murder on the first day of her trial on March 4. She was previously charged with one count of wounding with intent."
Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Felicity Parker, of Thames Valley Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People Department said: "She told him what was acceptable and punished him when he did something that disagreed with her view; he suffered extreme injuries as a result of this systematic abuse.
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“This case highlights the fact that domestic abuse affects men and women and the consequences can be catastrophic."
Hannegret's jailing comes after news of the horrific abuse Alex Skeel suffered at the hands of his girlfriend Jordan Worth.
He was discovered starving "10 days from death" after being hacked away at with a breadknife and having boiling water poured on him.
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