To Kill a Husband: Abuse or Excuse? Ep1: Arrest

Behind the Crimes with Robert Murphy

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To Kill a Husband: Abuse or Excuse? Ep1: Arrest

'I tried to stab his heart - he hasn't got one...' with these words to a 999 call handler, Penelope Jackson's trial became national news. Was she a victim of domestic abuse? Or was she making it up?

Robert Murphy

May 21, 2024

Transcript

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To friends, David and Penelope Jackson were like most other retired couples living in the West Country.

They had a good life: a nice home, an active social life and a penchant for foreign cruises.

But in February 2021, Penelope killed her husband after a birthday celebration.

She then called 999 saying ‘I stabbed him once, then he said I wouldn’t do it again so I did it twice more.’

Had she been suffering in silence for years at the hands of a silent abuser?

Or was she fabricating a life of coercive control to wriggle away from a murder charge?

If you’ve been affected by issues in this episode, please look at these links:

https://www.nelsontrust.com/

https://refuge.org.uk/

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Behind the Crimes with Robert Murphy

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