Man murdered wife by stabbing her 78 times

A man who murdered his wife by stabbing her at least 78 times was driven by his obsession with money and desire to stop her leaving, prosecutors said.

Robert Alexander was married to nurse Christina Alexander, 60, for about six years before he killed her at their home in Tamworth in the early hours of 23 June 2025.

The pair met through online dating, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said, adding that Robert Alexander showed controlling and violent behaviour throughout the relationship.

The 66-year-old, of Ascot Drive, Tamworth, was found guilty of murder by a jury on Wednesday after a trial at Stafford Crown Court.

The CPS said he was previously convicted of battery after police were called on 13 September 2020 when he placed Christina Alexander in a chokehold.

After he was arrested, he revealed his main concern was she knew his bank card PIN, the CPS spokesperson added.

They said she also told police in June 2021 that she was living under a "constant threat of violence".

She had started taking steps to leave the relationship by 2025, including consulting a solicitor and making financial arrangements to live independently.

The CPS said dashcam footage from her car captured her telling her sister: "I'll probably be dead before then."

Robert Alexander harmed himself twice in the weeks before the murder and psychiatric experts later said it was intended to manipulate or control his victim.

He was discharged from hospital, where he was taken after the second incident, and days later he killed Christina Alexander at their home in the Dosthill area of Tamworth.

He then called 999 and told police he killed his wife before referring to issues around money and control, though he would later change his account and deny murder, the CPS said.

A forensic pathologist found Christina Alexander had sustained at least 78 stab wounds, including to the face, neck, body, arms and legs.

Before finding him guilty, the jury rejected Robert Alexander's claims of self-defence and diminished responsibility.

The CPS said he was "driven by his obsession with money and determination to stop her leaving him".

Narmina Rafiq, senior crown prosecutor, said: "Our thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of Christina Alexander. She was a nurse who spent her life caring for others and her loss is deeply felt.

"We hope this outcome provides some measure of justice for her family, particularly her siblings who supported the prosecution throughout."

Robert Alexander is due to be sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on 1 September.

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