Date | 14 August 2010 |
---|---|
Location | Claygate, Surrey, England |
Deaths | Richard Challen |
Convicted | Sally Challen |
On the morning of 14 August 2010, Richard Challen was killed by his wife Georgina 'Sally' Challen (née Jenney) [1] [2] in Claygate, Surrey, England. [3] Sally, 56 at the time, beat the 61-year-old retiree with a hammer 20 times, killing him, after he told her not to question him. [3] [4] She then covered the body and left a note that said, "I love you. Sally." [5] The killing occurred in the kitchen of the couple's marital home. [3] On the following day, Sally travelled to Beachy Head, intending to kill herself. [3]
She was initially convicted of murder, but the conviction was later quashed on appeal and she pleaded guilty to manslaughter. [4] The case is the subject of the BBC Two documentary The Case of Sally Challen. [6]
Sally, the youngest of five children, was the daughter of a brigadier in the Royal Engineers who died when she was six years old. She was raised by her mother in Surrey and attended school up to O-levels. [2] She met Richard, a car dealer, when she was 15 years old and they married in 1979. [7] They had two sons, David and James. [8]
At Guildford Crown Court in Surrey in June 2011, she was convicted of his murder after a seven-day trial, for which she was jailed for life. [3] [4] Coercive control became a criminal offence in 2015. [3] In February 2019 at the Court of Appeal in London, her conviction was quashed and a retrial ordered in light of her having adjustment disorder at the time she killed her husband. [3] [4] Her appeal was based partly on her undiagnosed mental health conditions; she had been treated for bipolar disorder, dependent personality disorder and adjustment disorder while in prison. [9] Sally admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and pleaded not guilty to murder. [4] She was due to be retried on 1 July 2019. [4] However, on 7 June 2019 at the Old Bailey in London, her plea was accepted and the retrial cancelled. [4] The judge said that Challen controlled, isolated and humiliated his wife and was frequently unfaithful to her. [4] He sentenced her to nine years and four months' imprisonment, which she had already served. [4] Sally's son David supported her and fought for her in the media; he felt the murder could have been prevented. [9]
In May 2020, Judge Paul Matthews, sitting in the High Court in Bristol, ruled that Sally could inherit the estate of the deceased Challen, which is valued at £1 million. [10] [5] The claim was made to help benefit Sally's children.
Date | 14 August 2010 |
---|---|
Location | Claygate, Surrey, England |
Deaths | Richard Challen |
Convicted | Sally Challen |
On the morning of 14 August 2010, Richard Challen was killed by his wife Georgina 'Sally' Challen (née Jenney) [1] [2] in Claygate, Surrey, England. [3] Sally, 56 at the time, beat the 61-year-old retiree with a hammer 20 times, killing him, after he told her not to question him. [3] [4] She then covered the body and left a note that said, "I love you. Sally." [5] The killing occurred in the kitchen of the couple's marital home. [3] On the following day, Sally travelled to Beachy Head, intending to kill herself. [3]
She was initially convicted of murder, but the conviction was later quashed on appeal and she pleaded guilty to manslaughter. [4] The case is the subject of the BBC Two documentary The Case of Sally Challen. [6]
Sally, the youngest of five children, was the daughter of a brigadier in the Royal Engineers who died when she was six years old. She was raised by her mother in Surrey and attended school up to O-levels. [2] She met Richard, a car dealer, when she was 15 years old and they married in 1979. [7] They had two sons, David and James. [8]
At Guildford Crown Court in Surrey in June 2011, she was convicted of his murder after a seven-day trial, for which she was jailed for life. [3] [4] Coercive control became a criminal offence in 2015. [3] In February 2019 at the Court of Appeal in London, her conviction was quashed and a retrial ordered in light of her having adjustment disorder at the time she killed her husband. [3] [4] Her appeal was based partly on her undiagnosed mental health conditions; she had been treated for bipolar disorder, dependent personality disorder and adjustment disorder while in prison. [9] Sally admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and pleaded not guilty to murder. [4] She was due to be retried on 1 July 2019. [4] However, on 7 June 2019 at the Old Bailey in London, her plea was accepted and the retrial cancelled. [4] The judge said that Challen controlled, isolated and humiliated his wife and was frequently unfaithful to her. [4] He sentenced her to nine years and four months' imprisonment, which she had already served. [4] Sally's son David supported her and fought for her in the media; he felt the murder could have been prevented. [9]
In May 2020, Judge Paul Matthews, sitting in the High Court in Bristol, ruled that Sally could inherit the estate of the deceased Challen, which is valued at £1 million. [10] [5] The claim was made to help benefit Sally's children.