Mr Justice Goose said sentencing in the “unusual case” would take place at 3pm on Thursday. Mrs Mansfield had bled profusely from a 6.3in (16cm) “gap wound” and her trachea had been severed. Three knives and a hammer were found near her body. Also found nearby were two bricks on top of a plastic wallet containing a note written by the defendant for the police. “We decided to take our lives,” he said, giving instructions on where to find his house keys and how to contact his sister, the court heard.
“I couldn’t live without Diane”
Another note written by Mansfield, addressed to his family, was found in a folder at home. It read: “We are sorry to put you through this, but there is no other way. We made an agreement that when it got too bad for Diane we would end it. “I couldn’t bear to live without Diane and as the months went by and things got worse, she only strengthened our decision that the time had come. Hope you all understood. “Don’t get too upset. We had a wonderful and happy life together.” No note was signed by Ms Mansfield, the court heard. Mansfield was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and later underwent surgery for injuries to his neck and both wrists. Police followed up with family, friends and neighbors of the couple, who spoke positively of the accused and his “unwavering devotion” to his wife. Some even expressed no surprise at the suggestion he had killed her as part of a suicide deal, jurors heard. Mansfield, who was on bail, had denied murder. He also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of manslaughter, on the grounds that his actions were “under duress”. Summing up the case, the judge told jurors that if Mansfield was to be cleared of murder they would have to be satisfied on the probabilities that there was a suicide pact and that he made an actual attempt to kill himself. He added that they may believe his intentions were motivated by compassion for his wife, who was in pain, but acting under the pressure of the circumstances did not make it legal “no matter how sympathetic you feel about it”. The judge said it was not the Crown’s case that there was no suicide pact, but instead asked the jury to consider all the evidence and ask whether it had been proven.
