It has been reported that a woman who killed her husband laughed about how she would hang him months before stabbing him to death.
Penny Jackson died in the arms of David Jackson on her 68th Birthday, February 13, 2018, at their Berrow home in Somerset.
As he was dying, she called the police and told them. ” I should have stabbed him more”.
Jackson made Jackson’s Facebook cover photo during lockdown ten months before he died. It featured a picture of a woman knitting an oose. Mail Online reports
“Quarantined with hubbie for two weeks – Gertrude is knitting something special for him!”A caption is placed next to the image.
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Yesterday, the retired accountant was sentenced for at most 18 years for knifing her husband then refusing help from a 999 operator as he lay dying on the kitchen floor.
Jackson stabbed her husband for 24 years, before telling a cop handler. “I thought I’d get his heart but he hasn’t got one.”
When the operator asked her to assist the victim, she refused repeatedly to do so. She suggested that she apply pressure to the wound and throw him a towel in an effort to stop the bleeding.
Jackson made a notepad at the telephone and wrote a confession. She was then arrested under suspicion of murder. “It’s murder now, not attempted murder? Oh good.”
She would later admit to murder and plead guilty to manslaughter, saying that she was unable to control her emotions and had suffered years of abuse from her husband.
After nearly 11 hours of deliberations, Jackson was found guilty by the Bristol Crown Court of murder.
Judge Martin Picton sentenced her for life with an 18-year minimum.
He stated that: “Despite professing to still love him, you sought to portray David Jackson as a monster.
“Although there were undoubtedly points of friction in the marriage, which the lockdown would have made worse, I am certain that he was not the person you claimed.”
Judge Picton continued: “You took another person’s life.
“That is a terrible thing to do and it represents a burden you and all the other family members will have to bear for the rest of their lives.
“Their memories of David Jackson will be forever tarnished by his death and the way you tried to portray him.”
He added he had not seen “A shred” of remorse from the defendant during the four days she gave evidence.
Judge Picton described the killing as a “Cruel and vindictive act” by the defendant, saying: “I am certain that you were aiming for the victim’s heart when you inflicted your first wound to his chest.”
He added: “”I have no doubt that your intention was to murder your husband. This was a premeditated murder.”
The jury heard that the Jacksons had complained about the defendant’s serving bubble and squeak along with a gourmet meal purchased by their daughter during lockdown.
The victim and defendant shared the meal over Zoom with Isabelle Potterton, their daughter, and Tom Potterton.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Potterton stated that the row appeared to have ended, but added that they had ended their call when the Jacksons started arguing over who had not charged their computer correctly.
Jackson stated in her evidence that Jackson was influenced by the row over bubbles and squeak.
“He had the contempt for me and he had been so rude and obnoxious in front of our daughter,”She said.
“It wasn’t the straw that broke the camel’s back but in was in the bundle.”
Jackson described her marriage as follows: “I didn’t know if I was waking up to nice David or nasty David.”
The defendant claimed that her husband was violent in the aftermath of arguments.
“It would escalate, and he would shake me most of the time, he strangled me sometimes and I would go unconscious sometimes.”
Multiple witnesses described the victim, defendant, and their relationship as happy. They would argue but not have long-lasting arguments.
Mrs Potterton made the following statement in her victim impact report: “I have lost the man that I looked up to and loved. I have lost the man that was always there for me no matter what.”
She also added: “But I feel I have also lost my mum. I have lost the woman who always knew how to make me feel better.
“The woman who was my friend. She was also my champion. The woman who loved me, cherished me and cared for my needs.
“Yes, I know mum is here, but she’s not the same person I knew. I don’t know what the future holds but I do know that the relationship I once cherished can never be built back to what it was.
“She said, “You’ve taken so many from a family who has already experienced so much pain.”
Mrs Potterton recalls three instances of her father’s serious aggression against her mother, between 1997 and 1998. This included pulling a knife upon her and once giving her a bleeding nose.
She said that it had happened in the immediate aftermath to Mr Jackson’s suicide.
Mrs Potterton confirmed that her father sought counseling to cope with his grief. She also said that her parents were enjoying a happy retirement, with lots of shared interests like gardening and cruise holidays.
Judge Picton acknowledged the violence of the past and said that Mr Jackson’s actions were justified regardless of the circumstances. “very wrong”.
However, he said that after treatment, the victim had spent many years with the defendant, sharing their experiences. “many periods of what must have been very happy times”.
Jane Calverley, Jane Jackson’s second marriage daughter, accused the defendant in the affair of being abusive.
Ms. Calverley claimed that her father wouldn’t have sought help, as he would have been too ashamed to admit to having been bullied or abused by his spouse.
“You have taken so much from us all. My father was a proud man, this probably cost him his life because he would he would never have sought help.”
Ms. Calverley claimed that the defendant had “ultimate power”Surrounding the victim, adding: “You held on so tight to him and controlled him to prevent him from leaving.”
Sally Helliwell was the senior prosecutor for south west England with the Crown Prosecution Service. “This has been a difficult and tragic case to prosecute. As with all domestic homicides we needed to ensure the case was handled with the greatest of care and thoughtfulness.
“Penelope Jackson was found guilty of murdering her husband because of the strength of the multimedia evidence and the testimony from family and friends.
“Our thoughts remain with the family. I would like to thank them for their support in this prosecution and the way they have conducted themselves during the trial. I hope this conviction provides some sense of justice for the family and friends of David Jackson.”
