A retired police officer who left his wife to die after assaulting her and causing her to fall down a flight of stairs has been jailed.
Alan Claxton was found guilty of killing his wife Wendy, 70, after 45 years of marriage.
The couple were both retired Northumbria Police officers and lived in Gateshead.
Senior Investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr of Northumbria Police said: “The investigation established that Wendy had been a victim of repeated alcohol-fuelled domestic violence by Alan throughout their marriage. Towards the end of Wendy’s life she was becoming increasingly concerned by her husband’s addiction to alcohol and the risks that this created for her.”