'BBC wife killed to hide web of lies'

A SPIRITUALIST minister murdered his BBC make-up artist wife to stop her uncovering his secret life of steamy affairs and spiralling debts, a court heard yesterday.

Diane s body was found dumped beneath a holly bush in a wood near her home Diane’s body was found dumped beneath a holly bush in a wood near her home

Bisexual David Chenery-Wickens dum ped wife Diane’s body beneath a holly bush in an isolated wood near their village home, it was alleged.

Chenery-Wickens, 51, had at least four relationships with women apart from his wife and regularly used gay chatlines. He had also run up debts amounting to thousands of pounds without telling 48-year-old Diane, the jury was told.

The Crown claims he killed her when she confronted him after spotting a premium-rate number and that of a mistress on their phone bill.

Philip Katz QC, prosecuting, told Lewes Crown Court in Sussex: “The veil was lifting from Diane’s eyes and he had the clearest motive and the obvious opportunity to get rid of his wife. We say that he was only concerned with himself. This defendant, rather than see his deceitful life fall to pieces, killed Diane.”

Chenery-Wickens then reported her missing and spun a web of lies to suggest she had simply disappeared. His charade included leaving passionate messages on Diane’s mobile voicemail two days after killing her, it was claimed. He also bombarded his other women with explicit text messages and arranged a sexual liaison with a strange man at their cottage in Duddleswell, East Sussex.

Mr Katz told the court that Diane was murdered on 22 January last year. He said Emmy-award winning Diane, who had worked on programmes including Blue Peter and Casualty, spoke to a friend on that date but was never heard from again.

Her remains were found four months after her disappearance and had been partially-eaten by wild animals.

Mr Katz claimed Chenery-Wickens was a “sexual predator” who had been a “serial adulterer” throughout the couple’s 10-year marriage. He said the defendant had a “principal girlfriend”, Kerry Lippett, with whom he effectively led a “double life”.

Because he was ordained into the United Spiritualists’ church, he would tell Diane he was away working with bereaved families when he was seeing Miss Lippett.

When he reported his wife missing to police, he claimed she disappeared while in London after they travelled up together. But CCTV footage revealed he had made the journey to London alone – while his wife’s mobile had made the same journey.

Mr Katz alleged text messages were sent from her phone to friends to make it appear as if she was alive. But within hours he was sending texts to other women including Miss Lippett.

He had recently asked to see her again and they had exchanged smutty messages, including “intimate photographs”. Mr Katz added that some time after midnight, the same night, a fellow-chatline user from Eastbourne, East Sussex, drove to Chenery-Wickens’ cottage. Although they did not have sex, the defendant told the man he was getting divorced and selling the house.

Diane’s body was found last May by a woman walking her dogs along a country lane in Little Horsted, near Uckfield. Although the corpse was clothed, the feet were bare with her favourite pair of brown, calf-length cowboy boots left alongside. But the boots still had shoe-trees inside.

Police who searched their cottage found Diane’s wedding ring, chastity ring and wristwatch. Chenery-Wickens, who denied murder, had claimed she was wearing them when she disappeared. All three showed traces of her blood.

The court heard that he was financially supported by his wife but borrowed money from many other people. The trial continues.

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