A sales manager has admitted murdering his churchgoing wife on the day he was due to stand trial for the crime.Jealous Paul Knight strangled his wife – 32-year-old Isobella ‘Izzy’ Knight – inside their home in Donnington Road, Burton Latimer, while their two daughters lay in bed asleep.The following morning, he asked his mother to look after their two daughters, claiming he and Mrs Knight were unwell.Once the daughters were collected from the family’s home, he made unsuccessful attempts to end his own life before leaving the property and crashing his car in the car park of the nearby McDonald’s restaurant.
Knight had previously admitted the manslaughter of the beloved mother and daughter but had denied murdering his wife at their home in June last year.But this morning, as a two week trial had been due to start, the 36-year-old changed his plea to guilty.Knight, an area sales manager for a pottery business, kept his head bowed during a brief hearing.It was attended by multiple members of both Knight’s and his wife’s family.His barrister, John Lloyd-Jones KC explained to Northampton Crown Court that he had met with his client before Christmas and he had decided to admit murder.Mr Lloyd-Jones said: ‘He has never denied that he unlawfully killed the victim in this case.’He pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the first opportunity.