A man who murdered his wife and dismembered her body following a trivial argument about frozen chips has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years and 182 days. Thomas McCann, 49, killed Yvonne McCann, known as Von, at their home in Brinnington, Stockport, on May 23 last year.
Manchester Crown Court heard that McCann used his wife's phone to send messages to family and friends, pretending she was still alive. The deception was uncovered when one of their children found Yvonne's phone and rings in McCann's jacket pocket after a family barbecue. Following four police interviews, McCann admitted in a statement: 'I killed my wife and disposed of her in the garbage.'
The couple, childhood sweethearts married for 24 years, had three children in their 20s. Prosecutor Andrew Smith said Yvonne had started a new relationship after discovering McCann's infidelity. On the day of the murder, neighbours heard the couple arguing about a bag of frozen chips. Shortly after, McCann began operating Yvonne's phone.
McCann was not seen leaving the house between 10.40am and 3.42pm, a period prosecutors believe he used to dismember her body. CCTV later showed him carrying two large bin bags to Reddish Vale Country Park, where dog walkers discovered eight bags containing Yvonne's body parts two days later.
In his prepared statement, McCann said the argument escalated, he 'lost control and couldn’t stop', strangled Yvonne, and cut up her body to 'make her go away'. He also identified himself as 'Hannibal Lecter' in one interview. The judge imposed a life sentence with a minimum term of 13 years and four months, reduced to 12 years and 182 days for time served.
