Postmistress husband ‘sobbed without tears’, murder trial told

Robin Garbutt, 45, murdered his unfaithful wife, Diana, and then claimed a raider with a handgun had struck at The Village Shop and Post Office in Melsonby, North Yorkshire, Teesside Crown Court has heard.

He denies murdering 40-year-old Mrs Garbutt on March 23 last year.

Pc Mark Reed, the second officer at the scene after the shopkeeper dialled 999, told the jury he tried to get information from Garbutt so he could circulate a description of the robber.

The officer, based in Richmond, North Yorkshire, said: “He would sob occasionally. There didn’t seem to be any tears.”

Pc Reed said Garbutt’s account of the events that morning “jumped around”, but he said he was working in the store when a masked 6ft intruder with a gun came in after 8.30am.

Pc Reed said: “This male told him to turn the lights off, lock the door and don’t do anything stupid as they had his wife.”

The defendant said he then went upstairs to the living quarters where he found his wife had been attacked.

The first policeman to arrive was traffic officer Christopher Marlow, who gave the ambulance crew the all-clear to enter the premises.

He said a paramedic reported that rigor mortis had set in on Mrs Garbutt.

The officer told the trial: “Mr Garbutt said words to the effect of ‘How can that be? She’s still warm’.”

Later, when Pc Reed and another officer were transporting Garbutt to police headquarters, the officer told the court he asked: “Why was her back still warm?”

Two part-time employees at the shop gave evidence to say the couple seemed happy.

Linda Ling told the court: “I always thought he thought the world of her.”

He bought his wife tickets to the Glastonbury music festival in 2009 as her 40th birthday present, and hired a camper van for her and a female friend.

Linda Sharp said Garbutt was “absolutely wonderful - a very kind, gentle man”.

She added: “They were just a normal, happy couple.”

The trial was adjourned until tomorrow.