Jury out in North Yorkshire postmistress murder trial

THE jury has been sent out to consider its verdict in the trial of North Yorkshire shopkeeper Robin Garbutt, accused of murdering his postmistress wife Diana and then blaming the crime on robbers.
By The Newsroom
Published 14th Apr 2011, 14:51 BST

Garbutt, 45, denies battering to death his 40-year-old wife as she slept above the post office and shop they ran in Melsonby, near Richmond, last year.

Mr Justice Openshaw, who has presided over the four-week trial at Teesside Crown Court, told the jury of four women and eight men to reach a verdict on which they are all agreed, before sending them out at 1.3opm today.

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Earlier, the jury heard Garbutt’s claim that a robber burst in as he worked in the shop and said “don’t do anything stupid, we’ve got your wife”.

He claims he was forced to hand over thousands before the raider fled. He then went upstairs, he says, and found Mrs Garbutt motionless on the bed.

The prosecution alleges he killed his unfaithful wife then made up the robbery to cover his tracks.

It claims the marriage, which seemed happy to outsiders, was doomed. The couple had £30,000 in credit card debts yet still went on extravagant weekend breaks, and the prosecution alleges Garbutt was stealing cash from the Post Office and was going to be found out.

The jury was later released for the day and will resume their deliberations on Monday.