Man Jailed For Murdering Wife

21 October 2014, 15:37

A man's been jailed for at least 19 years for murdering his wife by beating and strangling her.

The High Court in Glasgow heard Alan Humphrey 56, punched, kicked, throttled and stamped on his wife and then left.

It was five days before 49-year-old Angela Humphrey's was found by her family.

But the day after the horrific killing Humphrey was out drinking and boasting of the killing.

Yesterday at the High Court in Glasgow judge Lady Rae sentenced Humphrey to life imprisonment and ordered him to serve at least 19 years before being eligible for parole.

She told him: "This was a truly a very brutal and violent attack on a defenceless woman. After you battered her mercilessly you abandoned her. You used your hands, your feet, you stamped on her.

"You are a violent man and what is concerning is you have shown no remorse for what you did."

Advocate depute Sheena Fraser, prosecuting, revealed that Humphrey has previous convictions for violence, including two High Court convictions and one at Crown Court in England.

Throughout his trial Humphrey denied murdering his wife, but the jury took just over an hour to find him guilty.

The court heard he boasted to two regulars in the Black Bull pub in Glasgow's Gallowgate that he had killed his wife.

He told 71-year-old George Bothwell and his wife Joyce: "I think I've killed her."

His remark came after they asked where Mrs Humphrey was and suggested she should join them for a drink.

Through his defence counsel Thomas Ross Humphrey claimed that the couple had misunderstood him.

He maintained Humphrey was talking about his son Sean Humphrey who was murdered in 2013 by Steven Ross the son of Tam the Licensee McGraw's enforcer Gordon Ross.

The murderous attack on Mrs Humphrey took place on February 21 at flat 0/2, 58 Quarrywood Avenue, Glasgow.

Her body was found in her home five days later after her family became concerned about not being able to contact her and broke into the flat.

The couple married in May 2010 and their relationship was stormy.

Mrs Humphrey's daughters Jacqueline, 26, and Amanda, 28, became increasingly concerned when their mother did not answer her phone and the curtains were drawn at her home.

Jacqueline McMonagle, 26, told the court that she last saw her mother alive on Tuesday, February 18 when she and her daughter visited.