True Crime With Caledonian Kitty : The Marriage From Hell | Penelope & David Jackson

(David and Penelope Jackson. Picture credit: This Week)

In the past few posts here on my blog, I seem to have written about a few cases that are all in a similar vein. I didn't plan on doing this, it just happened. I'm always in the middle of researching cases and when this particular story popped up in the UK press recently, it was hard for me to ignore.

There seems to be this frightening occurrence that some of these couples (who've known each other for decades) just suddenly fly of the handle and kill their partner and it isn't by slipping some arsenic into their tea, it's always up close and personal. Whether it be throwing boiling hot water over an individual as they slept, trap them in a bathroom and strangle them or in this case repeatedly stab your husband even when he's on the phone to the police.

We have to use the word 'allegedly' in this case because the trial is currently ongoing as we speak, It's supposed to run for 3 weeks. Obviously I will be keeping an eye on things and updating you on the verdict but you don't have to be Albert Einstein to work out how all of this is going to pan out.

So let's get into some of the background of the case. Penelope and David Jackson looked just like any other older happy couple posing for photographs and taking regular holidays but as we learn with all of these types of cases, all was not as it seemed. Penelope had been married 4 times previously and her husband 3 times, so both of them had been around the block a few times and had seen a bit of life, why their marriages never lasted is a bit of a mystery but sometimes people just grow apart or could it have been something to do with the fact that they were both very headstrong and controlling people?

Penelope (currently 66) was younger than David (78) and were reported to have a fiery relationship. Out of the pair of them, Penelope was the one in control according to people who knew the couple, David seemed to be on edge a lot of the time that he was around her.

Penelope apparently loved to create negative atmospheres and would enjoy making people feel uncomfortable with her actions and words.

In December of last year (2020) the police were called to the house where the couple lived after the neighbours complained of some commotion. When the police arrived they found that Penelope and David had been having a shouting match over a remote control for the TV. David had reportedly grabbed Penelope so hard that she had bruises on her arm.

They were always fighting, it was like they couldn't be in the same room together for 5 minutes without getting at each others throats. One wonders why they stayed together, maybe it was a financial thing or a part of them enjoyed the constant turmoil, who knows?

They had been married for 24 years and lived in a comfortable bungalow in a place in England called Berrow in Somerset. David had been a retired lieutenant colonel and Penelope had been a former accountant for the Ministry of Defence. They were used to the good life and had visited many beautiful locations around the world. There was a very passionate side to their relationship with Penelope having the words 'Property of David Jackson' tattooed just above her bottom. But with the passion they both had for each other there was also a dark side, both were very jealous, particularly Penelope but David had his faults too.

The arguments were frequent and on many occasions felt like they could get out of hand. Their marriage was a constant cycle of arguments day in, day out when things finally came to head in February of this year (2021). They'd had another one of their arguments after celebrating Penelope's birthday with a dinner of seafood and champagne. Penelope, who was sick to death of it, stormed off to the bedroom with the intention of taking her own life. As she sat there with those thoughts she suddenly said to herself ''Why should I be the one who has to end my life. It's him! he's the problem, It should be him''.

She picked up a knife and found David in the kitchen and charged at him, stabbing him as hard as she could, trying to aim for his heart, there was blood everywhere and the pair struggled. In the middle of all of this, David was trying to dial 999 and told the cops that his wife was trying to kill him. Penelope wasn't phased by this and continued to attack her husband. As she stabbed him the final time, the police overheard David scream in agony. They tried to talk Penelope into giving David CPR until the ambulance arrived but she refused.

When the police arrived they found Penelope, still standing in her nightwear covered in blood acting calm and very matter of fact. Without a tear, shock or any sort of emotion she told the police that her husband was in the kitchen and that she hoped that he was dead. She told them straight away that she was trying to stab him and that she hoped that she'd managed to do it properly so he would bleed to death.

She claimed that it had been a long time coming after years of abuse by David. She said ''I tried to aim for his heart but he hasn't got one''

David was in the kitchen lying lifeless on the floor. The police arrested Penelope and took her to the station where she make flippant remarks, acting as if the whole situation was a joke. She was happy that her husband was dead and she had no remorse, care or feeling about it. She claimed that she was happy to accept anything that was going to come to her for what she had done, to her it was all worth it. She had been talking and joking that much that the police had to advise her to be quiet and wait for her lawyer. Penelope expressed that she wasn't bothered about a lawyer either, she told them she stabbed him and that was that.

Right now the trial is ongoing at Bristol Crown Court and is set to wrap up in a couple of weeks. I will be updating this post with any new news and the verdict. Penelope is claiming manslaughter.

Penelope claims that what she did was in self defence after being in an abusive relationship for years with David who she described as a control freak. On the night of the stabbing, the pair were drunk. Penelope had also left a note by the telephone which said:

''Self Defence. To whom it may concern. I have taken so much abuse over the years - look at my records. But he was a good Daddy. However, the mask slipped tonight. That was unforgivable. I accept my punishment, may he rot in hell''

People who knew David, such a his daughter from his first marriage and his ex wife, described how he was scared of Penelope and when asked why he did not leave her, he replied that she had threatened to cut off his penis if he did.

It's unclear what was exactly said that night that they had that argument but it was enough to tip Penelope into full blown anger.

Penelope had a history according to those close to the couple of being very argumentative and would love to provoke people. David was described as being a bit of a lap dog where Penelope was concerned, he seemed to be on edge and nervous around her.

As I mentioned before, I will be updating this case over the next few weeks until the outcome is reached. What are your thoughts on this case? Why do people stay in such toxic relationships? You must get out if you are in one, it only leads to more trouble ahead and in some cases it can end in death. You have to get out.

October 2021: Since I last wrote about this case, the trial has been ongoing with many details and shocking revelations revealed. In the beginning we had David's loved ones describing Penelope as the dominant one in the relationship who David was nervous to be around and due to how things ended, one could be forgiven for believing that to be the case as a lot of men suffer Domestic abuse too.

But, now we have Penelope's side of the family revealing that there were two situations where David was quite a horrible individual towards his wife. At a family BBQ he held a knife to his wife's throat and on another, Penelope was seen with a bloody nose.

Penelope claimed that David was verbally and physically abusive to her on a regular basis. The lawyers for David's family said that if David was so controlling then she would not have been able to leave the house, go to the Gym or see her friends

Friday 29th of October: After 11 hours of deliberation and days of testimony, a verdict was reached, Penelope Jackson as found guilty of the murder of her husband. The Judge explained that he believed there had been difficulties in the relationship with abuse from each of the parties involved but that didn't excuse Penelope's actions during or after her husband's murder. The fact that she found the situation amusing as the offers arrested her and had shown no remorse throughout her trial, spoke volumes. She was sentenced to 18 years at Bristol Court in England.

Thank you for joining me on following this case x