Cheating police officer Keith Farquharson thought he was ‘god’s gift to women’ guilty of murder

A cheating ex-policeman who murdered his wife thought he was ‘God’s gift to women’ and a had a career plagued by sex scandals, it has been revealed.

Keith Farquharson, 60, smothered mother-of-three Alice, 56, on August 29 last year. 

The former traffic officer told police her death was an accident after he put his hand over her mouth to stop her screaming – and lied to his family that he found her dead.

But yesterday a jury at the High Court in Glasgow took only two hours to convict him of murder following a five-day trial.

Mrs Farquharson stood by him for 33 years, despite a string of affairs with junior colleagues. 

One of them said he thought he was ‘God’s gift to women’ and branded him a ‘pervy creep’ who ‘thought he was a ladies man’. 

They told the Daily Record: ‘If he was chocolate, he’d have eaten himself. He was a show-off who sussed his targets   

‘Policewomen I knew weren’t attracted to him but he thought he was God’s gift. No matter what rank he was, he just thought policewomen were there to be used.’

Pictured: Mrs Farquharson stood by him for 33 years, despite a string of affairs with junior colleagues

Keith Farquharson, 60, smothered his wife, mother-of-three Alice, 56, on August 29 last year

Mrs Farquharson, a teaching assistant, had worked at Hazlehead Primary School in Aberdeen for 17 years. Headteacher Barbara Jones said she was ‘loved by all’ and acted as a ‘mum’ to the staff.

She stayed with her husband despite his serial adultery and him being demoted for sending a pornographic poem to a 28-year-old female officer in 1998.

He was convicted over the message and forced to pay a £500 fine. His career ended in 2009 when he was suspended over further misconduct allegations.

He had moved posts due to sexual harassment complaints but women in his new department immediately flagged his unnerving behaviour and he was suspended.   

The trial heard how Farquharson had flings with two women in 2018 and that ‘sexually explicit’ messages were found on his phone.

The 60-year-old told the court that his wife did not ‘trust him’.

He previously had a relationship with another woman, which ended in 2008. The affair was rekindled last year and Mrs Farquharson used the internet to search for information about the woman.   

He showed no emotion and refused to look at his three children – Joanna, 30, Sarah, 27, and 22-year-old Kerr – as he was led in handcuffs to the cells.

He will be sentenced next month and is facing life in prison.

A statement on the behalf of the Farquharsons’ children said: ‘[Our mother] was an incredibly kind and caring person, with a great love for life.

An ex-colleague of Farquharson (pictured) said he thought he was 'God's gift to women' and branded him a 'pervy creep' who 'thought he was a ladies man'

An ex-colleague of Farquharson (pictured) said he thought he was ‘God’s gift to women’ and branded him a ‘pervy creep’ who ‘thought he was a ladies man’

‘Our family will never be the same again and we cannot begin to describe the devastating impact this tragedy has had on us.’

The statement added: ‘She was always thinking of others and put everyone else before herself. We miss her an incredible amount.’ 

The court heard that on the morning of the murder, August 29, Farquharson got up to start his shift as a school bus driver.

As she lay in bed, his wife had asked him: ‘Do you love me?’

Farquharson admitted he had ‘groaned’ at the question, and claimed his wife slapped him.

The former traffic officer then insisted they had struggled and he put his hand over her mouth to stop her screaming.

He said: ‘It was as if she started to choke. I knew something was wrong. When I let go she just rolled off the bed.’

He made a panicked 999 call but medics were unable to save Mrs Farquharson. Police had initially believed that her death was ‘non- suspicious’. 

But Inspector Christopher Kerr – who was at the couple’s home that morning – pushed for further inquiries.

He also insisted on an immediate post-mortem examination and Mrs Farquharson was then found to have suffered ‘mechanical asphyxia’.

A pathologist concluded that her neck had been compressed and that bruises on her face were consistent with gripping. Farquharson lied to relatives, claiming he had discovered his wife in the bedroom after hearing a noise while in the shower.

He told the trial: ‘I continued with the lie because I was in a state of shock. I felt guilty and did not want my family to know.’

Farquharson repeatedly sobbed in the witness box, insisting he did not mean to kill his wife. A guilty plea to the reduced charge of culpable homicide was rejected.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice, QC, prosecuting, said that Mrs Farquharson must have been ‘fighting for her life’.

Detective Inspector Gary Winter, who led the murder inquiry, said: ‘On the day of Alice’s death, Keith Farquharson deceived paramedics, police officers, his friends and – above all – his own family.

‘Alice’s children have had to sit through days of harrowing evidence in court over the last week, as well as having to give evidence themselves.

‘I can’t begin to imagine how difficult this has been, in addition to dealing with the devastating impact this incident has had on their family. I hope the outcome gives them some sense of justice for their mum.’

Lady Stacey deferred sentencing for reports.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk