Man 'strangled wife over affair'

Johanna Croxton and her daughter Elouise

Mother-of-one Johanna Croxton was strangled to death

A man strangled his wife and hid her body in their attic because she was having an affair, a jury has been told.

Johanna Croxton's body was found on 7 December last year at her home in Plynlimmon Road, Hastings, East Sussex.

Her husband Jonathan, 25, told police he "flipped and lost the plot" over intimate mobile phone text messages between Mrs Croxton and a co-worker.

He is on trial at Lewes Crown Court, where he admits manslaughter by reason of provocation but denies murder.

See the house where the body was found

Concerns were raised for Mrs Croxton, 21, when she failed to show for work on 2 December.

Ikea bag

A missing persons inquiry was begun, but a text message was sent from her mobile to Glenn Mills, who it was claimed she was having an affair with, saying she had gone to stay with her sister.

Richard Camden-Pratt QC, prosecuting, said the defendant sent the message having already killed his wife.

Police searched the loft at the couple's rented home on 6 December but found nothing.

Mr Camden-Pratt said Mr Croxton then became convinced his wife's body had been found and confessed the killing to his stepfather.

'Abusive marriage'

When police went to his mother's home again on 7 December, Mr Croxton said: "I have been waiting for you to come. You've found the body, haven't you?"

Afterwards a second search of the couple's loft uncovered his wife's body wrapped in paddling pool sheeting, a duvet and a plastic Ikea bag.

Jurors heard evidence that Mrs Croxton was ready to leave her husband after an abusive year-long marriage, during which time he had threatened to take away their 14-month-old daughter, Elouise.

The trial was adjourned until Friday.

Amendment 2 December 2010: Jonathan Croxton was later convicted of the murder of his wife Johanna and given a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years and two months.