Eight years for ruined financial advisor who tried to kill his model wife

Yorkshire-born Peter Nunn, 63, decided to take his wife's life and then his own at their home in Wookey, near Wells, Somerset, after falling into financial ruin.

Margaret Nunn, 80, woke in the early hours of May 27 last year to discover her husband, a former financial advisor, smothering her with a pillow.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC sentenced Nunn - who pleaded guilty to attempted murder at a previous hearing - to eight years in prison, of which he must serve at least half.

A restraining order was made against Nunn prohibiting him from directly or indirectly contacting his wife - who now lives alone in a one-bedroom flat on benefits - for the rest of his life.

Opening the case, prosecutor James Patrick said Mrs Nunn believed she summoned "superhuman" strength to force her husband of 32 years to the floor when he attempted to kill her.

Mr Patrick said: "She woke suddenly and was aware she was on her back, with Mr Nunn holding a pillow over her."

Reading from Mrs Nunn's statement, Mr Patrick said: "I was suddenly aware - half like a dream - that he was holding a pillow over my face. I shouted 'get off, Peter get off'. I don't know how, but I managed to get him off."

The statement continued: "He said, 'I wanted us both to die. I wanted us to both go together'."

Mr Patrick said Mr Nunn, who was in charge of the couple's finances, was 45,000 in debt.

Mrs Nunn was unaware of the couple's financial position, the court heard.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mrs Nunn said the incident had left her "devastated and heartbroken".

Mr Patrick said: "Her life has been turned upside down. She feels the person she knew no longer exists."

Ian Pringle, defending, said Nunn "idolised" his "stunningly beautiful wife".

Nunn, who was born in Yorkshire, received a law degree from Manchester University, but could not afford to pursue a law career.

While working for Rothman's chartered accountants in the early Seventies he met his wife, who was 17 years his senior.

Mr Pringle said: "She was stunningly beautiful. She starred in the first television advert to be broadcast in this country in 1955.

"He couldn't believe they developed a relationship. He loved her deeply. He was staggered that they developed a relationship."

In the late Eighties and early Nineties, Nunn invested in a number of financial companies in the Channel Islands, which turned out to be "financial disasters".

Mr Pringle went on: "He couldn't bring himself to tell the woman he idolised the true state of the situation."

Mr Pringle said in the last couple of years, his client has admitted to committing offences - such as acquiring products he had no intention of paying for - to try to maintain the illusion of a comfortable life for his wife.

Mr Pringle said Nunn, a valued Rotarian in Wells, Somerset, could not describe "the sheer torment of juggling all the balls in the air while at the same time hiding it from someone else because of the depth of feeling for that person".

Mr Pringle said Nunn made serious attempts at taking his own life in 1991 and 2000, and doctors diagnosed a recurrent depressive disorder.

Coming to the night Nunn tried to kill his wife, Mr Pringle said: "He resolved to kill himself but what he couldn't deal with is leaving Margaret.

"She was 80. He lay awake for two or three hours. He came to the view he would have to kill Margaret. He got out of bed, he went round the side of it, he picked up the cushion and placed it against her face."

Passing sentence, Judge Tabor said: "Your wife describes you as a knight on a white charger. Sadly, you were anything but that."

He went on: "She was a mature woman. She was vulnerable as a result.

"You have caused her serious psychological harm, and you know that because this was an awful abuse of trust, for the man she loved and lay by for 32 years to get out of bed and do what you did."

Nunn will serve at least half of his eight-year sentence, minus the 264 days he has already served in custody.

Mrs Nunn, whose first name is Joan but who was known as Margaret or Meg, starred in the first ITV advertisement in 1955.

In the grainy black and white advert, Mrs Nunn brushes her teeth to promote Gibbs SR toothpaste.