A man who manipulated his young child to help murder his wife and then evade justice for years has been sentenced to life in prison. Robert Rhodes, 52, must serve a minimum of 29 years and six months for the cold-blooded killing of his estranged wife, Dawn Rhodes, at their family home in Redhill, Surrey.
The Chilling Crime and a Twisted Cover-Up
The horrific events unfolded on 2 June 2016. Prosecutors told Inner London Crown Court that Rhodes, who had taken cocaine, planned to 'get rid of mummy'. He exploited a strained relationship between Dawn and their child, who was under ten years old at the time.
Rhodes instructed the youngster to tell Dawn to close her eyes for a surprise painting. When the child left the room, Rhodes sneaked in and slashed his wife from behind, cutting her throat so aggressively it severed all structures in her neck. To fabricate a story of self-defence, Rhodes and the child then cut each other's arms.
When police arrived, they found Dawn dead on the kitchen floor. Rhodes claimed she had attacked them with a knife and he had acted to protect the child. The child, tragically, initially supported this false account, which became the cornerstone of Rhodes's defence.
A Stunning Reversal: The Child's Confession
Rhodes was acquitted of murder in 2017 after the child's testimony. He walked free, having spent a year on remand. However, the case took an extraordinary turn in November 2021 when the child, now older, confessed to a therapist.
The child revealed that Rhodes had groomed and manipulated them, describing the murder as 'our plan'. Rhodes had bribed and made the child feel special to secure their cooperation in lying about Dawn's death. This new evidence led the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to successfully appeal the acquittal.
In a rare double-jeopardy case, Rhodes was charged again and faced a retrial in 2024. He was also charged with child cruelty, perjury and perverting the course of justice. During the new trial, he coldly offered 'no comment' in police interviews and maintained his innocence, claiming the child was lying.
Justice Served: A Powerful Victim Impact
At the sentencing hearing, a devastating victim impact statement from the child was read out. They referred to Rhodes by his name, not 'dad', describing themselves as 'a shell' since the murder.
'The traumatic experience Robert Rhodes put me through will never go away,' the child stated. 'The guilt and shame will never go away, and the scar when he sliced open my forearm will never go away.'
They added: 'Robert Rhodes lied to me, bribed me, made me feel special in order to manipulate me for his own gain... On that evening, Robert Rhodes not only murdered my mother but he took my dad away from me as well.'
Rhodes refused to attend his sentencing, which Judge Mrs Justice Ellenbogen labelled an act of 'cowardice'. She described his offending as 'wicked' and 'callous'.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Libby Clark said the new evidence showed 'just how much careful planning Robert Rhodes had put into murdering his wife.' She paid tribute to the child's 'immense bravery', which finally cleared Dawn's name and brought her killer to justice.
Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey stated: 'The fact that Rhodes not only murdered his wife in cold blood but then manipulated and groomed his own child to play a part in his evil scheme and cover up what he had done is simply despicable.'
