Robert Alexander, 66, has been convicted of murdering his wife Christina Alexander, 60, at their home in Dosthill, Tamworth, in June 2025. He stabbed her 78 times, then changed his clothes, put the bins out, and sat in the lounge with his dog before calling 999. Prosecution counsel Rebecca Wade KC told Stafford Crown Court that Alexander told officers: 'I've disposed of my wife.'
History of Violence and Control
The couple met on a dating app and married in 2019. Alexander was violent and controlling towards Christina, a nurse. The court heard he was driven by an obsession with money and was determined to stop her leaving. In September 2020, police were called after he placed her in a chokehold. When arrested, his main concern was that she knew his bank card PIN numbers. He was later convicted of battery.
In June 2021, Christina told police she was living under constant threat of violence. That month, she called 999 after Alexander picked up an iron bar and waved it at her, leading to a domestic violence protection order. Despite working, she remained financially dependent on him and feared having nowhere to live if she left.
Steps to Leave and Final Warning
By 2025, Christina had begun taking steps to leave the relationship, including consulting a solicitor and making financial arrangements to live independently. Dashcam footage from her car captured her telling her sister: 'I'll probably be dead before then.'
Alexander told the jury he acted in self-defence after his wife reached for a knife first, a claim rejected by the jury. He also argued that depression and autism reduced his responsibility, which was dismissed.
CPS Statement and Sentencing
Narmina Rafiq from the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'This was a complex and challenging prosecution involving detailed psychiatric evidence and conflicting expert opinion about Robert Alexander's mental state. Alexander told different stories to different people and changed his version of events when it suited him. The jury carefully considered all of the evidence and rejected his claims of self-defence and diminished responsibility. We were able to demonstrate that his actions were driven by control, both over his wife and over money, and that his self-harm formed part of that pattern, rather than being the result of a serious mental disorder.'
Alexander will be sentenced on a date to be confirmed.
