Alcwyn Thomas, 44, is accused of strangling mum-of-two Victoria Thomas in a rage after losing money at a family bingo night, but he claims she died in a “sex game gone wrong”, a court heard
A dad strangled a “much-loved” mum to death in a rage after losing money on a family night out at bingo, a murder trial heard.
Alcwyn Thomas, 44, admits killing mother-of-two Victoria Thomas, 45 – but claims her death was due to a “sex game gone wrong”. A court heard Thomas was in a “bad mood” having taken cocaine and downed about 16 pints of lager while losing his stake money at a bingo hall.
Prosecutor Michael Jones KC said the couple – who had been together for around four years but were not married – were bickering in the taxi home as Thomas complained about his gambling losses. A neighbour later heard a scream coming from the couple’s home before Thomas sent messages from Victoria’s phone telling people he had killed her.
A jury heard Thomas then said he was “only joking”, but when his niece came to their home to check she found Victoria dead on the floor of the spare bedroom. Mr Jones said Thomas later wrote to family members while in prison insisting that Victoria had asked him to strangle her during sex and that he didn’t mean to kill her.
Mr Jones said: “He maintained it was sex gone wrong and that it was during, to use his words, ‘erotic asphyxiation’ that she had died. But whether in anger, frustration, or rage, this defendant confronted and strangled Victoria in that spare room and in that moment when doing so intended to either cause her really serious harm or to kill her – which he did.”
He added: “The prosecution does not accept this is manslaughter or in his words some ‘sex game gone wrong’. When he deliberately strangled Victoria Thomas to death, he knew full well what he was doing, why he was doing it, and whether it was in anger or frustration that is certainly no excuse and absolutely no defence to murder.
“Victoria Thomas was in vulnerable position when the defendant confronted and attacked her after a heavy night of drinking and taking cocaine and was clearly in an antagonistic bad mood.” Mr Jones said “angry and aggressive” Thomas confronted Victoria when she was alone in the spare bedroom.
“Whatever was said between Victoria Thomas and the defendant, he literally took matters into his own hands and murdered her,” he said. “Far from Miss Thomas wanting to and engaging in consensual sex in her son’s bedroom with a man in a bad mood, she took herself off to get away from him.
“It was there, that night, the defendant confronted her and put his hands around her throat and strangled her to death. He is therefore guilty of her murder.” Mr Jones said the couple had been to a pub before going to Bingo 3000 in Gabalfa, Cardiff, where he “drank heavily and took cocaine”.
Victoria was found dead by Thomas’ niece who had been out with the couple along with her mother and father earlier that evening, and had gone to check on her after the defendant sent text messages saying he had killed her. The court heard he himself was found in his own bed having taken an apparent overdose.
Mr Jones said Victoria openly spoke about her “adventurous sex life” with the defendant and would tell friends about using sex toys and filming each other. But he said she never mentioned being strangled during sex – and that Thomas used her openness to write “self-serving letters” to “excuse himself” from what he did.
“He knew Miss Thomas wasn’t shy in talking to others about their sex life and we say he took full advantage of that to deflect from what he had done to her.” Thomas denies murdering Victoria at their house in Birchgrove, Cardiff, but admits manslaughter following her death on August 19 last year.
In a tribute following her death Victoria’s family said: “As a family we are devastated that our much-loved daughter, mother, sister, aunt, niece and friend has been taken away so tragically. Our family are broken, and we will miss her forever.”
The trial continues.
