Sian Rees found strangled and strapped in passenger seat of her partner's crashed van'

A property developer murdered his lover and put her in the front seat of his van to take her away to dispose of the body – only to be caught when he crashed into a hedge near their home, a court heard yesterday.

John Doyle, 54, is accused of strangling and stabbing Sian Rees the night she came home after surgery for breast cancer.

They had rowed over Miss Rees meeting another man on the internet when he turned up late – and drunk – to collect her from the hospital, it was alleged.

The court heard that the couple’s 15-year relationship had been under strain and, using the pseudonym Sindy Sox, Miss Rees started communicating with a family lawyer online.

This man had invited Miss Rees for a flight in his plane and when Doyle found out a huge row ensued, the jury was told.

When he tried to dispose of the body the next morning, his van hit a traffic island and punctured a tyre.

Desperate not to stop, he eventually lost control and crashed. Read More