LISTEN: Hear The Chilling 999 Call made By A Hartlepool Man Who Stabbed His Wife To Death

9 October 2014, 18:19 | Updated: 10 October 2014, 08:19

Paul Smart stabbed Angela Smeaton to death at their home in April.

A welder who stabbed his wife from Hartlepool in the neck casually went to the toilet to relieve himself during the 999 call he made as her life ebbed away, a court heard.

Paul Smart was convicted of murdering his partner Angela Smeaton, a chip shop owner from Hartlepool, hours after the funeral of her brother in April.

Smart, 49, admitted manslaughter but denied murder and a jury at Teesside Crown Court heard the 1am chilling emergency call he made.

Slurring his words, he tells the call handler:
"Err, I've just stabbed my wife.

She's on the floor, s*** load of blood all over the f****** floor. She's moving at the moment.''

Moments later, he changes his mind, saying his common-law wife is still breathing and explains he stabbed her after they had had an argument following the funeral of her brother Martin, who had cancer.

After hearing some mumbling and interference on the phone, the handler asks: ``What are you doing at the moment?''

"I'm just having a wee,'' Smart replies.

Smart, who had a history of domestic violence, was jailed for life and must serve a minimum of 15 years before parole will be considered. He had stabbed his partner 12 times with a carving knife.

He had admitted manslaughter, but claimed he was acting in self-defence and had lost control after being provoked.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton told him:
"After you killed her, you phoned the police and the ambulance. Whilst that's to your credit, you were almost dispassionate in your appreciation of what you had done.

There was then, at that stage, in my judgment, no outpouring of grief or remorse by you.''

Outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Anne-Marie Salway said:
"I would like to emphasise that anyone suffering from domestic abuse should come forward and speak to us about it.''

You can hear the full 999 call below