Life sentence for killing ex-wife

A jealous divorced father who murdered his ex-wife after spending weeks tracking her movements and hacking into her email, was jailed for life today.

Computer programmer Ian Madden, 54, was desperate to find out if his wife Lynn, 38, was seeing anyone else.

After discovering she was dating a businessman he strangled her and then, as she lay lifeless in her hall, tied a rope round her neck and looped the other end over a loft beam to make it look like suicide.

He calmly drove back to a friend's house, leaving his children alone with their mother's body. The following morning his five-year-old son, Ross, stumbled across the "awful spectacle".

Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC, told Madden he should serve a minimum of 18 years before being considered for parole. He said: "This case represents a tragedy of unimaginable proportion to all concerned."

He said that when Madden drove from the house in Havering-atte-Bower it was inevitable that one of the children would find their mother's body.

"One dreads to contemplate the torment you inflicted on your ex-wife, who was by all accounts a lovely person who had everything to live for," he said.

"One also dreads to think of the lifelong torment you have inflicted upon the children and upon Lynn's family and friends."

Southwark Crown Court heard that Madden had even bought a small listening device to bug his former wife's home. On the night he killed her, his young son and daughter were asleep only feet away.

As he throttled her Mrs Madden desperately raked her fingernails so hard across her former husband's face that several were torn off and fell to the floor. As her strength waned, the man she had divorced only months earlier used a ligature to kill her.

The following morning Ross found her hanging. Spotting the rope, but thinking she was simply asleep, he went to the kitchen, picked up a knife and placed it by her side. The little boy later told police he thought she would be able to cut herself free "when she woke up".

Today Judge Rivlin said: "Goodness knows what impact that will have on the child."

Twice-married Madden, of Eaton Avenue, Greenford, was convicted last month of murdering his former wife on 15 December, 2002. Sentence was adjourned until today for the preparation of a psychiatric report, which ruled out any personality disorder or psychiatric problem.

Clearly shocked by the judge's 18-year recommendation, Madden gasped and swayed in his seat. Judge Rivlin said that during the trial, Madden had tried to blame Mrs Madden's new friend for the murder. He added: "All murders are serious but I do consider the aggravating features of this case make it an exceptionally serious one."

The court heard that Madden found it impossible to accept his ex-wife was entitled to a life on her own. On an earlier occasion he had lost his temper and tried to strangle her but stopped when his son intervened.

The judge said it was "most unfortunate" that when he subsequently pleaded guilty to common assault, he was dealt with on the "wholly false basis" that in pushing his ex-wife backwards his hands had "accidentally slipped around her throat".

The two-week trial heard that after the couple divorced Mrs Madden began taking French jive classes near her home in Essex. There she met businessman Steve Squires and they began dating. Friends remarked on her new-found happiness and spoke of her as "blooming".

Madden was soon "obsessively" monitoring her. He repeatedly hacked into her emails, and when one made it clear she had invited her new friend to dinner, he camped outside her home in his car and waited for Mr Squires to leave. Minutes after waving Mr Squires goodbye, she was dead.