20 Years In The Making: Court Finds Husband Guilty Of Killing Pregnant Wife

A 57-year-old man has been found guilty of killing his pregnant wife after she found out that he was having an affair with a minor.

According to The Sun, the court convicted Andrew Griggs for murdering his wife, Debbie Griggs 20 years ago. The then 34-year-old mother of three suddenly vanished without a trace on May 5, 1999.

She was pregnant with their fourth child at the time of her disappearance, it added.

Debbie's abandoned car was discovered on May 12 streets away from the couple's home in Deal, Kent. Investigations also revealed that the boot's lining was removed, alongside a speck of Debbie's blood. However, her body was never found.

The Canterbury Crown Court heard the belief of the wife that her husband was having a “sexual relationship” with a 15-year-old girl. Her fear was that the minor would be entitled to half of the family's fishmonger business should Andrew file for a divorce.

“Everything we have together is in fact his, and I am only allowed to enjoy anything that is a joint matrimonial asset by reason of being with him,” wrote Debbie in an affidavit in 1999.

She also said that her husband was “bombastic and bullying” for the entire time that they were married. He also told her that she was mentally sick and threatened her to get “sorted.”

“I took that to mean he will do me harm or will arrange for some other to do me harm.”

Jurors on the other hand rejected Andrew's claim that Debbie left her and their three sons.

Along this line, prosecuting lawyer Duncan Atkison pointed during the trial that Debbie would have never left her children as she was a “devoted mother.”

Griggs was arrested months after for suspicion of murder, but prosecution was ruled out by the CPS since no viable evidence supported his case at that time.

Telegraph UK said that Griggs denied the accusation, saying that he was asleep when his wife “left home for the last time.” He also refused to admit about the affair and told the police that the girl was “just a mate.”

Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate's Kay Braybook opined that while Debbie's body has never been found, they firmly believed that Andrew Briggs killed her considering no other explanation pointed to her death and that no other person is seen to be behind her disappearance.

“Only Andrew knows how he killed Debbie and what he did with her body, and I appeal to him to have the courage to speak up and enable those who continue to grieve her loss to have some form of closure.

“It is not too late for him to do the right thing,” said the Deputy Chief Inspector.