Postman beat and stabbed his adulterous NHS boss wife to death

Yvonne Davies, 46, left, was attacked with a hammer and a knife by Andrew Davies, 45, right

A senior NHS manager was bludgeoned and stabbed to death after her husband discovered she had been having an affair with a policeman, an inquest heard yesterday.

Yvonne Davies, 46, was attacked with a hammer and knife in her home by Andrew Davies, 45.

Mr Davies, a postman, had dropped off their young daughter at school on January 16 before returning home and carrying out the frenzied assault. He then hanged himself.

The inquest heard that he had discovered evidence that suggested his wife had been having an affair.

Mrs Davies and PC Mark Clifton, 50, had known each other for 23 years. The officer admitted to a sexual relationship, saying their friendship had developed into intimacy many years ago.

He said: ‘At one time Andrew indicated to Yvonne that he believed we were having an affair. At that time that was not true. 

The bodies were discovered at the family home by PC Clifton when he broke into the property

'We had not been together for many years. I had never described the relationship as an affair. We were very close friends and on occasions that friendship went too far.’

The inquest heard that in the weeks leading up to the tragedy, Mr Davies had become suspicious of his wife and decided to create an ‘evidence’ log of supposed infidelity. 

He accessed emails between the pair which he believed was proof of a secret sexual relationship.

After walking his daughter to school on the morning of the attack, Mr Davies returned home at about 9.10am where his wife was dressed for work, the hearing was told.

At 9.52am he sent a text message to his sister which said: ‘Sorry.’ 

It is believed he had already killed his wife. A post-mortem examination found that Mrs Davies was hit eight times with a hammer, suffered a fractured skull, and died from stab wounds to the neck.

Injuries to her arms and legs suggested that she had struggled during the attack. 

PC Clifton was contacted when Mrs Davies, who was head of public relations at Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust and a part-time magistrate, did not turn up for work and then failed to pick up her eight-year-old daughter from school.

The officer broke in to the suburban house in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, and first found Mr Davies, who had hanged himself on the landing.

Other officers arrived at the scene but PC Clifton continued to lead the way, and used the blood-stained handle on the kitchen door. He then discovered the body of Mrs Davies on the floor.

Yesterday the police officer – whose duties included training juniors – was condemned by the coroner for wandering around the crime scene.

Recording a verdict that Mrs Davies was unlawfully killed and her husband took his own life, Stockport coroner John Pollard said: ‘He suspected his wife had been unfaithful with someone else. His suspicions were justified and they clearly had an effect upon him.’

Culled