The Court of Appeal has increased the minimum term of Robert Rhodes' life sentence from 29-and-a-half years to 33-and-a-half years for the murder of his wife, Dawn Rhodes. Rhodes, 52, was convicted in December after a rare double jeopardy retrial, having initially been acquitted in 2017.
Murder and Manipulation
Rhodes killed his wife Dawn in the kitchen of their family home in 2016 as their marriage deteriorated and he discovered she was having an affair with a work colleague. In an attempt to evade justice, he involved their child, who was under the age of 10, in a scheme to cover up the murder. Rhodes then lied to police, claiming he inflicted the fatal wound in self-defense after Dawn attacked him.
Initial Acquittal and Retrial
The ploy initially succeeded, and Rhodes was acquitted of murder at his Old Bailey trial in 2017. However, four years later, the child disclosed the truth to a therapist: they had been manipulated by Rhodes to support his false narrative as part of his plan to “get rid of mummy”. This compelling new evidence prompted a rare second murder trial under double jeopardy laws, which concluded with Rhodes being found guilty in December.
Sentence Increased
At the original sentencing in January, Rhodes was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 29-and-a-half years. The Court of Appeal has now increased that minimum term to 33-and-a-half years, reflecting the severity of the crime and the manipulation of a child. The decision was announced on July 7, 2026.
