Spurned Husband Cut Up Wife's Underwear

SPURNED husband Nicholas Turnbull chopped up his wife's underwear after discovering she was about to divorce him.

Anita Turnbull woke one morning to find that two bras, six pairs of knickers and a nightdress had been cut up, and the next day she discovered that clothes in her wardrobe had been torn.

Then just days later, Mrs Turnbull discovered that some of her clothing and make up had been covered with bleach.

Admitting that he caused damage to the clothes, 39-year-old Turnbull told Ely magistrates on Thursday: "My marriage has had a lot of problems over the years. I admit I did wrong recently, because I was told the marriage was over, and I had to move out. I reacted badly."

The hotel night manager said his wife had taken out an injunction against him, and he had moved out of the family home in Fordham, to a new address in Alexandra Chase, Ely.

Prosecutor Yetunde Fawehinmi said Mrs Turnbull filed for divorce on March 31.

On Thursday April 3 she found that some of her clothes had been cut up, and the next day discovered torn clothes in her wardrobe.

Mrs Turnbull put the damaged clothes into another bedroom, and when she returned home from work, they had gone.

She found some of her make up in a bin and covered in bleach on April 6, and while looking for her make-up, she found an ornamental sword that had previously been hidden away. A bag of clothing was found covered in bleach, and Mrs Turnbull noticed that a digital radio had been damaged.

Mrs Turnbull had described her husband as "controlling and unpredictable," said Mrs Fawehinmi. There had been no physical assault, but she was frightened of him.

Giving Turnbull a 12-month conditional discharge, presiding magistrate Susan Griffiths said: "You behaved very badly, in a petty way really." He was ordered to pay £340 compensation and £80 costs.