Hilda Oakland, known as Joy, was killed in a field in Devon in December 2015
A man killed his 71-year-old fianceé by hitting her over the head with a scaffold pole in a row over Christmas presents, an inquest heard.
Charles Broom, 66, then strangled Hilda Oakland with a rope "to make sure that she would be dead".
He handed himself in to police on the day of the killing but was found dead in his prison cell before he faced a trial for murder.
Exeter Coroner's Court concluded Ms Oakland was unlawfully killed.
For more on the inquest and other news
The pair were in a "fraught relationship" before Ms Oakland's death in December 2015, Exeter County Hall heard.
Both widowed, the couple got engaged in January 2015 but Det Con Paul Burrow told the inquest "they argued frequently".
He said Broom, known as Bob, confessed to killing her and told police that Ms Oakland was "very possessive and jealous".
Ms Oakland was killed in a field off the A30 at Fenny Bridges, near Honiton
Mr Burrow said the couple went to a field at Fenny Bridges, Devon, to feed cattle "where they argued about Christmas presents for family and argued about their relationship".
Broom told police Ms Oakland, known as Joy, started to "lash out at him and he lost it". He said: "I suppose I must have wanted her gone - to be dead."
Later the same day, he drove to Exeter's main police station where he told the front desk he had killed her.
The inquest heard he told officers: "I felt I should tell the police first because that was the way I was brought up."
He was "calm, matter of fact" and "not visibly upset" as he confessed, the detective said.
'Unlawfully killed'
Ms Oakland's friends said they saw her wearing her new engagement ring but after a house sale fell through she was "walking on eggshells".
The deputy Devon coroner John Tomalin concluded she was unlawfully killed by Broom.
Broom appeared in court at the end of May last year where he denied murder - but admitted manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.
He was due to face a trial in July but was found hanged in his cell at HMP Exeter with police saying they believed he took his own life.
An inquest will be held into his death at a later date.
- Published17 December 2015
