Man who murdered wife dies in prison

A man who murdered his wife has died in jail, according to the firm that runs the prison.

Serco, which oversees HMP Dovegate in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, confirmed Peter Matthews died on 16 January.

The 80-year-old was sentenced in August for smothering his wife Carol with a pillow at their home in Denton Grove, Stoke-on-Trent, in March.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman confirmed it was investigating the death.

Matthews was given a life sentence at Stafford Crown Court on 9 August, with a minimum term of 10 years.

Carol, who was 73 and paraplegic, had relied on a wheelchair since being diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome in 2000.

The court heard Matthews called 999 on 22 March and admitted he had murdered his wife to "put her out of her misery", even though she did not want to die.

He told the police he had spent the following two days trying to take his own life.

When he was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital, he said: "I decided we had had enough".

He also told police and nurses that Mrs Matthews had said: "No Peter, don't do this" and that he wanted to die "as punishment" for what he had done.

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