Abused husband who stabbed his wife to death at their Herringthorpe Flat is jailed

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A 58-year-old man who stabbed his wife to death after an argument in their Herringthorpe Flat has been jailed

Laurence Ward, 58, was arrested after the body of his wife Joanne, 53, was found with stab wounds to the chest at their flat on Herringthorpe Valley Road on 21 June.

After the altercation, Ward walked to a family member’s address where he disclosed he had stabbed his wife and was concerned he had killed her.

Officers found Joanne in the living room of her home with serious injuries. She was sadly pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

During sentencing at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday (16 December), the court heard Ward endured years of abuse at the hands of Joanne.

Prosecutor David Brooke told the court: “Witnesses speak of them having a toxic relationship, and she dealt physical violence and especially verbal abuse on him.

“On occasion, he was beaten by his wife and forced to sit on the steps outside the flat, naked, in all weathers.

On the day of her death, Joanne stabbed Ward in the arm with a large kitchen knife.

Ward admitted manslaughter during a hearing at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday (16 December) and the plea was accepted by the prosecution.

He will now spend more than three years behind bars.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Simon Cartwright said: “This is a tragic case which has resulted in Joanne Ward losing her life.

“Laurence Ward left his wife to succumb to her injuries alone as he walked to a different address to disclose what had happened. He was waiting for us at the scene when we arrived to investigate.

“Our investigation was thorough and included more than 30 witness statements, and I’d like to thank every single member of the public who came forward to help us build up our intelligence picture. 

“In his police interview, Ward admitted he was the only one who could have caused the injuries to his wife, and said he had left their home because he was in a state of shock and had panicked.

“I hope today’s sentence will provide some closure to everyone affected by this tragic case.”