Jealous husband who strangled wife in bed found guilty of murder

A jealous husband who strangled his wife in their bed has been found guilty of murder.

Michael Davies, 58, killed Tracey Davies at their home on Bryn Terrace in Cefn Cribwr, Bridgend, after wrongly suspecting she was going to leave him.

Davies was jealous over his wife working with male colleagues and he was also £30,000 in debt.

He previously admitted the manslaughter of Tracey, 48, but denied murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

But he was found guilty of murder on Friday at Newport Crown Court and will be sentenced next month.

In the months before murdering his wife, Davies was working in logistics in Abu Dhabi.

During his trial, the court heard he became increasingly depressed and anxious living alone in a flat without windows.

He was worried about paying back the £30,000 bank loan and repair costs to their home.

Davies said he could not understand why he strangled Tracey. He said his mind was "broken".

"I have no idea what I was doing, I didn't understand what I was doing. I had no relation to my hands," he said.

"I knew it was wrong.

"There was no plan, no thought, I couldn't stop myself. I remember Tracey struggling and grabbing my arms."

After killing his wife, he took an overdose and stabbed himself in the throat and chest. The couple were later discovered by a family member and paramedics.

The court was told the couple previously had a close and loving relationship.

They had met at a walking club, and married on 1 March 2024.

Tracey initially lived with her husband in Abu Dhabi, but her professional qualifications were not recognised in the country and she returned to Wales. Davies regularly flew home to visit.

But he became increasingly withdrawn, and was was prescribed anti-depressants and sleeping tablets.

In the days before her death, Tracey told her sister-in-law she believed Davies was having "some sort of breakdown".

In a message to another family member she wrote: "It's very sad to see, I am keeping strong, Mickey is half the man he was."

Davies said he was worried he was going the "same way" as his parents who both suffered with their mental health.

An inquest opening a provisional cause of death was recorded as pressure on the neck.

In a tribute, Tracey's family said she was an "extraordinary woman", and a "devoted mother" whose children were her "greatest pride".

They described her as a "a cherished sister, a loyal friend, and a radiant presence whose laughter could light up any room".

The family added "her legacy lives on in the love she gave and the lives she changed".