Life Sentence for Man Who Murdered His Wife and Manipulated Their Child in "Wicked" Plot
A London court has handed down a life sentence to Robert Rhodes, 52, for murdering his wife Dawn in 2016. The killer had initially been acquitted of the crime on grounds of self-defence, but after new evidence came to light, he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 29.5 years behind bars.
Rhodes' motive for the killing was revealed to be a twisted case of sexual jealousy, which drove him to brutally attack his wife in their family home. What's even more shocking is that he manipulated their young child into helping him carry out the fatal attack, before spinning a web of lies to deceive investigators and support his false claims.
The victim's child, now an adult, finally came forward with new evidence under double jeopardy rules, allowing prosecutors to retry the case. The child revealed the full extent of their father's manipulation and coercion, including the infliction of a serious injury on their own arm in a bid to bolster his self-defence claim.
The court was told that Rhodes' actions had left his family in "devastation" and caused lifelong mental health struggles for the victim. The child described being left with emotional scars that would never heal, and the trauma inflicted by their father will continue to affect them throughout their life.
Rhodes' response to his sentencing was characteristically cowardly, as he refused to appear before the court and instead sent a message through his lawyer claiming innocence. The judge, Mrs Justice Ellenbogen, branded Rhodes a "coward" for his actions, labeling him a "wicked individual with malignant characteristics".
The case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence and manipulation. The victim's mother, Liz Spencer, welcomed the sentence, saying it was a long time coming. "I don't look upon this result as justice," she said, "but I feel for the first time my daughter's voice is being heard."
A London court has handed down a life sentence to Robert Rhodes, 52, for murdering his wife Dawn in 2016. The killer had initially been acquitted of the crime on grounds of self-defence, but after new evidence came to light, he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 29.5 years behind bars.
Rhodes' motive for the killing was revealed to be a twisted case of sexual jealousy, which drove him to brutally attack his wife in their family home. What's even more shocking is that he manipulated their young child into helping him carry out the fatal attack, before spinning a web of lies to deceive investigators and support his false claims.
The victim's child, now an adult, finally came forward with new evidence under double jeopardy rules, allowing prosecutors to retry the case. The child revealed the full extent of their father's manipulation and coercion, including the infliction of a serious injury on their own arm in a bid to bolster his self-defence claim.
The court was told that Rhodes' actions had left his family in "devastation" and caused lifelong mental health struggles for the victim. The child described being left with emotional scars that would never heal, and the trauma inflicted by their father will continue to affect them throughout their life.
Rhodes' response to his sentencing was characteristically cowardly, as he refused to appear before the court and instead sent a message through his lawyer claiming innocence. The judge, Mrs Justice Ellenbogen, branded Rhodes a "coward" for his actions, labeling him a "wicked individual with malignant characteristics".
The case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence and manipulation. The victim's mother, Liz Spencer, welcomed the sentence, saying it was a long time coming. "I don't look upon this result as justice," she said, "but I feel for the first time my daughter's voice is being heard."
He got away with almost killing his wife and manipulating their kid into helping him do it, and now he's getting a slap on the wrist compared to what he deserves. Like, 29.5 years isn't even enough for someone who basically killed his own family members over his twisted ego issues. And the fact that he was acquitted in the first place is just disgusting 
. I'm so glad the kid finally spoke out and exposed him, now maybe justice can be served properly. The judge called him a coward and "wicked individual" and honestly, who's surprised? This guy doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as normal humans.
. I mean, what kind of dude does that? 
The fact that he was acquitted initially and then had to face the music is just justice served. And the judge calling him out as a "coward" is spot on 
. 29.5 years is way too long for someone who's shown no remorse 
. I'm glad the victim's family got some closure, but it's still heartbreaking to think about the trauma that child went through 
this case is just mindblowing... like how he could do that to his own wife and child 
and can you believe he thought he could get away with it by saying it was self defense? 
. I'm so glad the truth finally came out and justice was served, but at the same time, I feel bad for the kid who had to go through all that... poor thing needs therapy ASAP 
. The fact that he didn't show up in court to face his sentence just shows the cowardice of someone who's tried to hide behind lies and deceit 
this whole situation is just a reminder that domestic violence is super serious business and we need to be supporting our victims way more 
. it's just heartbreaking to think about the trauma those kids went through, especially that one adult child who came forward with new evidence. they're still dealing with emotional scars and mental health issues... no justice can undo what happened to them 
.
the fact that he manipulated their child like that is just sickening...the victim's mom finally got some justice after all these years, I'm so relieved for her 
The fact that he manipulated his own kid into helping him kill his wife is just... I don't even have words. It's like, what's wrong with people?! 
And can you believe he didn't even have the guts to appear in court himself?! 
The judge was right to call him a coward.
.
29.5 years ain't enough for that wicked dude! He should've gotten more, trust me, 29.5 just coddles him a bit too much 
. And can we talk about how manipulative he was? I mean, the kid was basically brainwashed into helping him out 
.
. It's crazy how a child can be so messed up by their parent's actions - those emotional scars will definitely take a lifetime to heal 
.
. I remember watching this kind of thing on true crime documentaries back in the day, but nothing can prepare you for real life 
29.5 years behind bars feels way too short for someone who tortured their own family like that. The fact that they manipulated their kid into helping with the crime makes it even more heinous 
.