Body in freezer landlord guilty

Michael Tucker, 50, had denied murdering Rebecca Thorpe, 28, at The Compasses Inn, Snettisham, Norfolk, in March last year.

But after a week-long trial at Norwich Crown Court, the jury returned their unanimous verdict after 45 minutes. Mr Justice Nicol will pass sentence today.

The court had heard that Tucker fetched a shotgun owned by Miss Thorpe following an argument in which she threatened to leave him and stop him seeing his children from a previous marriage.

Tucker shot her in the back of the head while she was in the bath at their home above the pub. He left her in the bath for two days before moving her to a freezer in an out-house.

On March 23, an off-duty police officer who was passing the pub was called into the premises after being told that a body had been found in a freezer.

Earlier that day Tucker had told a friend: “Tell the police there is a shotgun under the bed and they will find her body in the freezer.”

He later told police that on March 9, he had shot Miss Thorpe.

Tucker appeared to continue living a normal life, running the business, employing staff and having sex with another woman before fleeing to the Isle of Wight, where he was arrested on March 23.

When he was arrested on suspicion of murder, he told officers: “It’s not suspicion, I’ve already admitted it.”

Tucker, who denied murder, did not give evidence during the trial.

Defence counsel Karim Khalil QC said his client had a history of depression and alcoholism. Throughout the trial he had claimed he had not intended to kill Miss Thorpe and said she provoked him.