Husband walks free after killing wife

A man who slit the throat of his cheating wife during an explosive argument has been cleared of murder.

Robert Rhodes discovered his wife Dawn was seeing another married man when he secretly went through messages on her mobile phone. After his initial discovery of the affair, he set up a fake Facebook profile which he used to contact Dawn’s lover, writing “thank you for screwing my wife and my life”.

He also wrote to his lover’s wife, saying “Hi my name is Rob Rhodes, husband of Dawn Rhodes who your husband works with and has been f***ing since Christmas.

“Dawn is leaving me for him. I thought you should know. Sorry they have screwed us both. I have tried to fix this but they won't do it.”

Six months after the initial discovery, the couple had a furious row, when Dawn “flipped like the Incredible Hulk”, and Robert cut her throat.

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Robert, from Surrey in the UK, claimed self defence during his court case. During his police interview he claimed she had a knife, saying said: “I was scared. she was really angry.

“One minute she was fine and the next she was like the Incredible Hulk. She just went. I have never seen her like that.

“It takes a lot to scare me but I knew that blade was there.”

He alleged that he protected himself by cutting her throat with a knife while she was standing in front of him.

However, prosecutors claimed that Rhodes cut his wife's throat from behind, severing her carotid artery and jugular veins and also passing through her windpipe.

Rhodes was treated in hospital for injuries to the back of his head and a cut across the palm of his left hand.

He was cleared of murder after the jury deliberated for 36 hours. 

Judge Richard Marks said “I am sure you would join with me in saying that irrespective of the verdict this has been a great tragedy for all. There are no winners, there are only losers.”

He then offered Dawn Rhodes' family: 'The court's sincere condolences.'