PC in court on wife murder charge

A POLICE constable appeared in court yesterday accused of the murder of his wife.

PC Otis Goldsmith: charged with killing his wife within police grounds. Picture: SWNS

PC Otis Goldsmith, 49, is charged with killing his wife Jill within police grounds.

Goldsmith, who has 28 years’ service with Northamptonshire Police, was arrested after police were called to a house in Wootton Hall Park, Northampton, on Thursday.

He appeared at Corby Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning and was remanded in custody to appear at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday, the force said.

A forensic post-mortem examination of the victim took place on Friday and the cause of death was confirmed as a head injury.

Goldsmith was arrested shortly after 1pm on Thursday, while off-duty, at his home, which is close to the force’s headquarters in Northampton.

The murder investigation team “will not include anyone from Northamptonshire Police”, police said earlier. The overall investigation will be led by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, headed by Det Supt Kate Meynell, with about 50 officers drafted in from across the region, including Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) was notified of the death on Thursday night and has received a “formal referral” from Northamptonshire Police.

A spokesperson for the force said Police Constable Goldsmith had been a serving officer for more than 28 years.

Supt Chris Hillery, said: “What has happened has understandably shocked and upset many people within the local community.”