Sally Challen: No fresh trial over husband murder

Sally Challen arrives at court Image copyright PA
Image caption Sally Challen, who was released on bail in April, walked into court

An abused woman will not face a retrial for murdering her husband with a hammer after prosecutors accepted her manslaughter plea.

Sally Challen, 65, was found guilty of murdering 61-year-old Richard in Surrey and jailed for life in 2011.

Her conviction was quashed in February and she was due to face a retrial for his murder next month.

However, prosecutors at the Old Bailey accepted the lesser plea on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Caroline Carberry QC said the manslaughter plea was accepted following a psychiatric report which concluded Mrs Challen was suffering an "adjustment disorder".

Mrs Challen, from Claygate, who never denied killing her husband, said she had suffered decades of emotional abuse from her former car dealer husband.

Image copyright Family handout
Image caption Sally and Richard Challen had two sons and had been married for 31 years

Her conviction for his murder was overturned by the Court of Appeal, following a campaign led by her sons.

Mrs Challen, who was released on bail in April, had walked into court this morning, flanked by her sons David and James.

During the two-day appeal hearing in February, the court heard evidence relating to Mrs Challen's state of mind at the time of the killing and the issue of "coercive control".

Coercive control describes a pattern of behaviour by an abuser to harm, punish or frighten their victim and became a criminal offence in England and Wales in December 2015.

Image copyright David Challen
Image caption Sally Challen had been realeased on bail into the care of her sons