Mother-in-law drove me to it, claims wife murderer

Published on Thursday 28 August 2008 22:05

A MAN blamed his mother-in-law for provoking him into murdering his wife with an axe, a court heard yesterday.

Lillian Taylor, 43, had devoted much of her life to caring for her wheelchair-bound mother, Wilhemina Winter, and it caused friction in her marriage.

Her husband, Emrys, 64, whom she married in 1999, "lost it" as the two women chatted during their regular late-night telephone call and took a 2ft 6in-long felling axe from their garden shed.

Mrs Winter, 79, heard a "growl" at the other end of the phone and kept shouting: "Are you there, Lillian?" She got no reply.

Minutes later, Welsh-born Taylor contacted police and said he had killed his wife.

"There's no need for an ambulance, just take her straight to the morgue," he said, calling his mother-in-law "evil" and blaming her for causing him to kill his wife, whom he "loved to bits".

Advocate-depute Simon Collins told the High Court in Edinburgh that Mrs Taylor's life revolved around her mother and that she had cared for her for about 20 years. This had become a major cause of friction between her and her husband.

Taylor, a former miner who was on sickness benefits, had a history of personality problems relating to anxiety, irritability and anger control.

He was a heavy drinker, and on the night of the killing both he and his wife had been drinking, Mr Collins told the court.

Taylor admitted the murder at the couple's home in Laird Terrace, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, in April. He will be sentenced next month.