Man In Court Accused Of Killing Wife With Mallet

24 January 2019, 11:58

A man has appeared in court charged with murdering his wife in Glasgow by striking her with a mallet or a similar object.

The body of Jeanna Maher, 51, was found at a house in Dewar Drive, Drumchapel, on September 26 last year.

Her husband, Peter Maher, 57, is accused of assaulting her at her home on that day.

It is alleged he bound her wrists and ankles with ligatures, seized her by the neck, repeatedly struck her on the head and body with a mallet or similar implement and murdered her.

He is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by cleaning blood from various surfaces and changing bedding and his clothes following the alleged incident on September 26.

The 57-year-old faces a further charge of assaulting his wife at the property in Dewar Drive on various occasions between January 1 2012 and September 25 2018.

It is alleged he slapped her, pushed and punched her and threw a mobile phone and a remote control unit at her, all to her injury.

Maher did not enter a plea when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday.

Brian McConnachie QC, representing Maher, said his client's health has deteriorated significantly in a relatively short period of time, and that a recent assessment by a doctor found that he was "seriously psychiatrically unwell".

The Crown said arrangements are being made for Mr Maher to be assessed by a psychiatrist from the State Hospital at Carstairs.

The case was continued until February 5 to allow time for the assessment to take place.