Janet Dunn manslaughter sentence: Controlling husband's 'taunting smile' caused wife to snap and smother him with a pillow

Janet Dunn put a pillow over frail Anthony Dunn's face as he lay in bed and held it there until he stopped resisting and was dead.

The "quiet and shy" 73-year-old killer then drove to a beauty spot near their home in Darras Hall and tried to end her own life, but was saved by a passing dog walker.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the couple had been married for 53 years and Mr Dunn, who did not always exhibit a "warm front" to his family, would often make insincere "grand financial gestures", with promises of future windfalls, which never materialised.

At the time of his death, the couple faced eviction from their home because of dire finances.

The court heard Mr Dunn had a "quick temper and liked to be in control of everything" but was in poor health and had worsened after the death of one of their three daughters, who was 47, last September.

On the day of the killing, the couple had argued over a loan Mr Dunn had taken out without his wife's knowledge and an unpaid bill.

The court heard years of abuse and frustration, mixed with a depressive episode creating an abnormality of mental functioning, caused her to snap when he smiled during the confrontation.

Judge Paul Sloan QC told her: "A number of factors contributed to your mental disorders.

"Throughout the course of the marriage you were the victim of controlling and coercive behaviour by your husband.

"You were, by nature, quiet and shy. He was nine years your senior, he was domineering and exercised control over many aspects of your life.

"While not physically abusive, he was verbally abusive. Your confidence and self esteem eroded, you became socially isolated and submissive and highly dependent on your husband."

The judge said in the period before the killing, Mr Dunn had suffered a heart attack and had dementia, which caused him to become more verbally abusive and stop taking care of himself.

Judge Sloan said on the morning of his death there was a confrontation about money and the prospect of the couple having to borrow from one of their two daughters.

The judge told Dunn: "He simply smiled, telling you to go ahead.

"You interpreted that smile as demonstrating a completely uncaring attitude.

"After decades of compliance and submission, it was the smile that finally caused you to snap. The anger and frustration you repressed for years boiled over."

The judge sentenced Dunn to five years and three months behind bars.

Prosecutor Peter Glenser QC told the court Mr Dunn's body was discovered by the couple's oldest daughter, who lived with them.

Dunn was arrested after being taken to hospital following the attempt to end her life at Bolam Lake.

Mr Glenser said: "During interview she said during her 50-year marriage to her husband he had not been violent towards her, but had been verbally abusive so she would be treading on eggshells most of the time.

"She said he had a quick temper and liked to be in control of everything.

"She had discovered payments she believed were for work done, which were not, in fact, payments for work done but loans her husband had taken out.

"He had lied about money and it made her anxious and her sleep was affected.

"She said in the last year he had had a heart attack and dementia had set in. Also, their daughter had died, which made him unable to work, which exacerbated financial problems."Dunn told police on the morning of the killing she had gone upstairs to confront him about "yet another unpaid bill", while he was lying in bed.

Mr Glenser added: "As she confronted him he smiled and said for her to sort the money and it made her angry and she wanted him to stop smiling, so she picked up the pillow and covered his face because she didn't want to see him anymore.

"Mr Dunn asked her what she was doing but she just kept the pillow over his face.

"He wasn't very strong and couldn't do much to resist.

"She kept the pillow over his face for a couple of minutes. He tried to push the pillow away at first, then stopped.

"She removed the pillow when she was sure he was dead."

Dunn, of Beech Court, Ponteland, Northumberland, was originally charged with murder but prosecutors accepted her guilty plea to manslaughter.

John Elvidge QC, defending, said there was "long-standing difficulties" between the couple and added: "He was a dominant figure, she was passive and compliant."

Mr Elvidge said Mr Dunn made "repeated promises of riches he could never fulfill" and added: "She did love her husband, she is desperately sorry for taking his life and what she has done to her daughters."