Rebecca Searing: Nurse, 52, who 'lost control' faces life in prison for stabbing sleeping husband to death
ESSEX, ENGLAND: A nurse is facing life in jail for stabbing her husband to death while he was sleeping at their home in Essex. Rebecca Searing, 52, killed her husband by stabbing him twice in the abdomen. She was found guilty of murdering Paul Searing, 57, at Chelmsford Crown Court. Searing was allegedly "trapped in an unhappy marriage" and there were accusations of domestic abuse from both sides. She denied murdering Paul, claiming she just "lost control".
On February 12 this year, Searing called the ambulance service at 2.12 am and said she had stabbed her husband twice at their home in Ryecroft, Harlow, in West Essex. She reportedly told Essex police officers after being arrested, "I can't believe I've done this" and "I will go down for this".
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Paul was treated by paramedics in the bedroom and then taken to the hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries three hours later. Searing pleaded with the police, saying, "please tell me you're lying" and "he can't be dead, he's too strong". A bloodstained knife was recovered from inside their house.
The court was told that documents found on Searing's computer appeared to be on the subject of murder. One document read "make your mind up if it's time to kill". Searing accused her husband of domestically abusing her "monthly", claiming the situation worsened after the lockdown imposed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. "The last thing I recall is Paul saying I'm hopeless and useless," she told the court, according to the Daily Mail. "I don't recall calling 999, I don't recall stabbing him and I don't recall any argument or me feeling scared."
Lydia George, investigating officer detective inspector, said, "Paul Searing lost his life in a moment of extreme violence and Rebecca Searing's actions were fatal. And while she may have some regret for what has happened, that cannot undo the consequences of her actions. She now faces a life sentence and a significant amount of time behind bars."
At the trial, the jury was told that Searing asked an officer if she would get 25 years for the murder of her husband. However, when these comments were put to her during the hearing, she only said, "no comments". As the verdict was announced during the trial at Chelmsford Crown Court and Searing was found guilty, she reportedly showed no emotions. She is due to be sentenced at the same court on September 7 this year.