Gary Brockwell. Pic: Metropolitan Police Service

A Croydon man was sentenced at the Old Bailey today to a minimum of 12 years in prison for murdering his wife.

Gary Brockwell, 48, of Court Wood Lane, strangled his wife Gaynor, 46, during an argument in the early hours of Saturday October 8, 2011.

The killing followed a night out with friends, during which the couple seemed to be getting on well. However, Brockwell said that when they returned home a row broke out and Gaynor told her husband that she was having an affair.

Brockwell strangled his wife, then stayed in the house for a couple of hours before calling his son and telling him what he had done.

When police arrived at the scene, they found Brockwell sitting at the dining room table. He confessed to them that he had killed his wife, however he told the court that it was through a loss of control and not premeditated.

The BBC reports that Brockwell told officers: “I felt angry and patronised. I flipped.

“I just blew out and put my hands round her throat. I didn’t stop. I didn’t let go.

“I cannot get her face out of my head. I idolised her all my life. She had everything and more.”

Judge John Bevan QC said: “This case is a tragedy. You are not a violent man. This is a complete one-off.

“It was instantly regretted by you. It arose from a promise not to leave you again, she having left you a number of times over the years for other men.

“You lost your temper and your self control and you strangled her to death.”