By Lucy Caulkett
A man has been cleared of murdering his cheating wife, after he slit her throat in a move of self defense. 43 year old Robert Rhodes and his wife were both in the process of a divorce, when the pair started seeing other partners. The jury heard that the pair whose married relationship was troublesome, had both taken issue with the other pursuing a new lover and the situation naturally got out of hand. Rhodes discovered over the Christmas period of 2015 that his wife was having an affair with a colleague.- Mr. Cullen, with whom she worked at the Raven Housing Trust In Redhill.
Raging with jealousy, Robert Rhodes admitted setting up a fake Facebook account to contact the colleague’s wife to inform her of the affair. Rhodes eventually contacted the wife of the husband seeing Dawn and left a message that read: thank you for screwing my wife and my life”. He eventually contacted the man’s wife on facebook and sent a message that said: ”Hi, my name is Rob Rhodes, husband of Dawn Rhodes who your husband has been fxxxxxx since Christmas.” Dawn is leaving me for him, I thought you should know. They have screwed us both. I’ve tried to fix it, but they won’t do it”. Rhodes was so stressed that he even considered suicide, going as far as researching how to cut open his chest in a special way. The other man in question reportedly admitted the affair to his wife.
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At one point, Dawn Rhodes asked Robert to move into the spare bedroom, but later changed her mind and moved in with her mother, announcing a divorce thereafter.
DISTRAUGHT
Gutted and distraught, the carpenter himself then pursued a relationship of his own on a dating site which enraged his wife, Dawn Rhodes.
Jurors were told that Dawn confronted Robert Rhodes about the new relationship and the confrontation developed into a full blown row. During the row, Robert Rhodes claims his wife picked up a kitchen knife and made a ”growling noise” as she came at him at (with)speed”. According to his account, he disarmed her then swung once, slashing her across the neck, leaving a 13m gaping wound at their home in Redhill, Surrey last June. He then fled upstairs where he called police before barricading himself into a bedroom waiting for cops to arrive. On arrival, cops found Rhodes lying face down in a large pool of blood. Rhodes himself had to receive treatment for head injuries and a cut across the palm of his left hand. An expert opinion during one of the segments of the case last year claimed it was unlikely that Dawn Rhodes had died from a single swipe of the knife. This suggests that Robert swung the knife more than once, but this expert view was not seen as hundred percent proof.
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DELIBERATION
After a 36 hour deliberation, jurors believed the account of Roberts Rhodes and found him not guilty of murder. He did not react at all to the verdict. The incident is sad and highlights the effects an extramarital relationship can have on people. If Dawn had pursued another relationship, she would have had no grounds to object to her husband’s other relationship, other than jealousy. Unfortunately, Dawn Rhodes is not here to give her version of events, leaving the court with only the account from her surviving husband. The moment a deterioration in their relationship became apparent, an immediate separation would have been ideal. Such a preferred scenario is often easier said than done when issues like finances or other family entanglements come into the equation.
Judge, Michael Topolski QC, told jurors, ”irrespective of the outcome, this has been a great tragedy for all. There are no winners, only loosers.”I want my very last words in this case to be to the family of Ms Rhodes. The court sends their condolences”. Touching but sad words, what else could a judge say in this desperately disturbing outcome? The only lesson to be learnt is that couples should manage their relationships well, try and resolve disputes, and manage any serious fall outs in the most sensible way. The eye of media.com equally sends our condolences to the family of Ms Rhodes.
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