Man Jailed For Life For Gosport Murder

18 June 2013, 16:14

A cuckolded husband who stabbed his love rival in the heart after he discovered his wife was having an affair with him was jailed for life today and told he would serve a minimum of 18 years behind bars after being found guilty of murder.

Marc Lindsey plunged a steak knife into Eddie Vials in the hallway of his home in Gosport, Hampshire, just before midnight on Christmas Eve last year because his wife Laura told him about her feelings.

Mr Vials had come to the house despite advice not to. Despite attempts to save him by Mrs Lindsey, Lindsey himself and paramedics, he died on the front lawn, Winchester Crown Court heard.

In a call to police shortly after he arrived, the two men could be heard struggling and Mr Vials was heard to cry out out

"You've just ******g stabbed me in the ...'' before his voice trailed off.

Supermarket worker Lindsey, 35, formerly from Park Hill Road, Gosport, admitted killing Mr Vials, 47, but denied murder. The jury took less than four hours to unanimously dismiss his claims  that it was an accident or self defence.

Sentencing Lindsey, Mr Justice Burnett said:

"You had suspected for some months that Eddie had become your wife, Laura's, lover. She had confirmed to you shortly beforehand that she and Eddie had feelings for each other. You believed they were having sex.

"I am satisfied that you armed yourself with the steak knife which killed Eddie as he arrived and it was in your pocket before you got to the door. You were not visibly angry but you had been humiliated by Eddie. It was clear that your marriage was over.''

During the five-day trial, Robert Davies, prosecuting, told the jury that there was no dispute Lindsey stabbed the other man.

"The evening of Christmas Eve was by any view catastrophic,'' the barrister said.

He explained there were rows in both houses as Mrs Vials was also having an affair with a man and both marriages were breaking down although Lindsey wanted to make a go of his but his wife did not.

During the heated arguments, Mrs Lindsey had sent Mr Vials a text message which read: "Do not come here, have told Marc I love you.''

But Mr Vials went to the house in Park Hill Road, which he knew because all four were friends after meeting at a football club, the court heard.

Mrs Vials then called Lindsey as Mr Vials travelled there to tell him that her husband had roughed her up and raped her on three occasions in the past in what the barrister told the jury was "an unhelpful intervention''.

"He (Lindsey) was heard to say, 'what? He raped you. I want to kill him'. She (Mrs Vials) said that was used as a figure of speech.''

Shortly after that Mr Vials was stabbed by Lindsey who was heard to say to police: "It was me - I did it''.

The judge explained  that he could not be sure that Lindsey intended to kill Mr Vials but having determined to stab him in the moments after he arrived he did not care "whether he lived or died''.

He said he accepted that Lindsey had been under stress from the revelations of the evening.