Husband denies murdering Chorley accountant Mandy

Stuart Gallear, 51, told police he “lost it” and attacked mother-of-two Mandy Gallear, 42, with a kitchen knife at the marital home on October 6, 2016.

Police arrived at the address within 10 minutes and found the victim, who worked for Chorley-based property developers Heaton Estates, lying motionless on the kitchen floor with three deep wounds to her chest.

Gallear, who lived with his wife in Hindley, Wigan, has pleaded guilty to her manslaughter but denies murder.

Alaric Bassano, prosecuting, said Mrs Gallear, pictured, told others about her dissatisfaction with her husband and how he mistreated her. In 2015, court heard Mrs Gallear became romantically involved with joiner Mark Prescott after her husband made a pass at her sister. Matters came to a head in October last year, the prosecutor said, when the defendant found out about the affair and the victim asked for a separation.

On October 6, Mr Bassano said Gallear phoned Mr Prescott and threatened to kill him and told his next-door neighbour that his wife had “ruined my life.”

When interviewed by detectives, Gallear told police he gone home at 3.30pm and talked “amicably” with his wife.

Gallear said his wife then said: “Anyway, it’s sorted now. We are separating. I love him more than you” and his memory of what happened next was “blurred”. Mr Bassano said: “He recalled lunging at Mandy, grabbing her by the throat, grabbing the knife from the drawer, pushing her back towards the sink and stabbing her.”

(Proceeding)