Saturday, December 29, 2007

Killing The Christmas Goose

A retired businessman is believed to have killed his wife and left her body under the Christmas tree before driving his car off the road and fatally injuring himself.

Susan Goswell, 63, a retired teacher, may have been battered to death with one of her husband’s golf clubs. Roger Goswell, 66, a prominent amateur golfer, then apparently killed himself by driving his car into a tree. The car failed to hit the tree with sufficient impact to kill him instantly and he was found dying behind the wheel. He was cut from the wreckage and was taken to Worthing Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1am on Christmas Eve.

Villagers in the South Downs reacted with disbelief to the tale emerging from the country home of the peacefully retired couple from West Chiltington, in West Sussex.

Police were led to Mrs Goswell’s body after her husband drove into the tree half a mile from their home. Officers went to his address and became suspicious when nobody answered the door. They forced their way into the house and discovered the former teacher’s body among the tinsel, presents and decorations.

A source close to the investigation said: “We are working on the assumption that the husband killed his wife and then killed himself by driving his car into a tree.

On Christmas Day, a single floral tribute lay at the entrance. A card attached read: “To a loving and devoted mother from all your children. We love you mum”.

A neighbor told reporters, “It is terrible to think that this has happened just before Christmas. Susan was lovely. I didn’t know Roger very well, but Susan was great fun. I can’t believe it really. To have such a horrible thing happen on your doorstep is truly numbing. I can’t enjoy Christmas knowing what has happened to that poor woman.”

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