Murder Trial: Accused claims he found wife in bed with victim

A Castletown man who is standing trial for murder has told a jury how he returned home from work to find his wife in bed with the man he’s accused of murdering.

46-year-old Ian Anderson began giving evidence today – 60-year-old Neil Robert’s body was found at his home on Queen Street in the early hours of December 1^st 2013.

Anderson, who worked in England during the week, told jurors how he’d travelled back to the Island three days earlier than expected on July 23^rd because he couldn’t contact his wife.

He said he was “suspicious” and was concerned that “something was going on” between the pair – describing how he ran all the way home from the airport.

Finding the house in darkness he went to the backdoor where he lodged a broom under the handle before knocking at the front – his wife, he said, appeared in the window of the spare bedroom.

Anderson claimed he then saw two pairs of legs running across the landing – entering the property he said the backdoor was now open and he found a set of keys which he believed were Mr Roberts.

According to Anderson his wife denied this and said she’d been upstairs resting – he told jurors he was “really angry” about what he called the “lies and betrayal”.

Mrs Anderson was removed from the property by police who took her to Mr Robert’s address in Ballabeg – three days later Anderson received a call from her asking to be collected.

He told the jury whilst he “hated her” for what she’d done he still loved her – on July 27^th the couple left the Island to move back to Solihull temporarily.

Anderson denies murder – the trial continues.