A former soldier strangled his wife to death on their bed after becoming wrongly convinced she was planning to leave him, a murder trial has heard.
Tracey Davies, 48, was found dead at the couple’s home in Cefn Cribwr, near Bridgend, South Wales, after concerned relatives went looking for her when she failed to attend a concert.
Her husband, Michael Davies, 57, was discovered in the same bedroom suffering from self-inflicted stab wounds, Newport Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Mark Cotter KC told jurors that Davies killed his wife on their bed before stabbing himself.
The court heard the couple had been married for around a year when Tracey died.
Prosecutors allege Davies had become “wrongly convinced” his wife was going to leave him and “go off”.
Jurors were told he had carried out internet searches relating to paranoia, including searches about how to stop paranoid thoughts within a relationship.
Family made grim discovery
Davies had recently returned from his job as a private security guard in Abu Dhabi amid concerns about his mental health, the court heard.
When Tracey’s relatives arrived at the couple’s home on April 18 last year, they reportedly heard faint snoring coming from the bedroom.
They struggled to open the door because what was described in court as a “dead weight” was blocking it.
When they eventually gained access, Davies was found covered in blood while Tracey was slumped beside the bed.
A kitchen knife was found on the headboard, jurors were told.
A post-mortem examination subsequently found Tracey had suffered head and neck injuries consistent with forceful pressure.
Davies, who left the Army in 2023, admits manslaughter but denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
The trial at Newport Crown Court continues.
