‘Abusive’ husband, 28, admits killing Gretna Green wife, 30, while their children were in the house but denies murder – as he tearfully tells trial he feels ‘ashamed and broken’
- Shaun Dyson, 28, is accused of the murder of his wife Lucy-Anne Rushton, 30
- He said: ‘I feel broken, ashamed, devastated for Lucy, heartbroken for our family. It’s been six months and it doesn’t feel real’
- He’s alleged to have killed her by repeatedly stamping and jumping on top of her
- Ms Rushton was convinced that Dyson would eventually kill her, his trial told
A husband today admitted being responsible for killing his estranged wife with their children in the house – but denies it was murder, a court heard today.
Shaun Dyson, 28, tearfully told a court that he was ‘broken and ashamed’ following the death of Lucy-Anne Rushton at their home in Andover, Hampshire, who was allegedly stamped to death.
He said he had known Ms Rushton since they were at school together and the couple married in 2010 after eloping to Gretna Green – but split in January this year because Dyson was ‘jealous and violent’, Winchester Crown Court heard.
He denies the murder of 30-year-old Lucy-Anne but has entered a plea of guilty to her manslaughter.
Asked by his barrister, Sarah Jones QC, how he felt following her death, Dyson said: ‘I feel broken, ashamed, devastated for Lucy, heartbroken for our family. It’s been six months and it doesn’t feel real.’
The trial, entering its third week today, previously heard that Dyson claimed that she had drowned when he threw water over her to wake her up after a drunken row.
The prosecution claims he told her swallow her wedding ring before beating her to death at home in a rage when one of her former partners called her mobile.
Shaun Dyson admits he is responsible for the death of his estranged wife Lucy-Anne Rushton – but denies it was murder
The couple married in 2010 when they eloped to Gretna Green but split up in January 2019
He said their relationship ‘always had its ups and downs’ but they had split up in January.
Dyson told Winchester Crown Court that he had been to a pub in the afternoon with Ms Rushton before they had a drink together in her garden.
He said the mood turned violent between them after they drove to a supermarket but he failed to enter the store before it closed because he had stopped to talk to some friends.
Dyson said Ms Rushton slapped him and also pulled on the steering wheel and handbrake while he was driving.
He said when he stopped the car he ‘threw the key into Lucy’s head’ and swore at her while children in the car were getting upset.
Simon Jones, prosecuting, has told the jury that the couple’s relationship was ‘toxic’ and there was a ‘history of domestic violence’.
Earlier this month Ms Rushton’s sister Lola Simpson told the trial she received a call from her ‘hysterical’ sister declaring Dyson was ‘going to murder her’ just one month before she was beaten to death.
The defendant had told his estranged wife that he hid a bag with a change of clothes, petrol and weapons inside – with Ms Rushton adamant he was going to ‘do something bad to her’.
Ms Simpson also told police Dyson strangled her sister until she lost consciousness three years ago and claimed Ms Rushton said she wanted to write a will just nine days before she was killed.
The jury of six men and six women were shown CCTV footage of Dyson kicking, punching and spitting at Ms Rushton outside Britannia Hotel, Bournemouth, Dorset, last September.
Lucy-Anne was found dead in her home on June 23 this year after suffering multiple injuries
Police were called after a night porter raised the alarm, with a teary Ms Rushton telling a hotel guest: ‘I’m used to it, that is how men are.’
But she denied she had been attacked when officers arrived and instead claimed she had suffered a nosebleed, the court heard.
Prosecutor Simon Jones said: ‘The CCTV shows the defendant repeatedly assaulting Lucy in the hallway of that hotel room.
‘This is an example of the domestic violence we will hear about in this case – an example of how the defendant was violent towards Lucy.’
Dyson claims Rushton drowned – the prosecution claim he as brutally killed by either jumping or stamping on her body.
The trial on the charge of murder continues.