A former soldier has been found guilty of murdering his wife by strangulation after unfounded fears that she was about to leave him, just a year into their marriage. Michael Davies, 58, had admitted manslaughter but denied murder at Newport Crown Court, where jurors heard he strangled 48-year-old Tracey Davies at their home in Cefn Cribwr, Bridgend, before stabbing himself and taking an overdose in an unsuccessful suicide attempt. The case matters as a stark example of controlling paranoia escalating to fatal violence within a marriage, with the judge confirming life imprisonment is the only available sentence.

Tracey Davies was found dead on 18 April last year after family members grew concerned about a lack of contact and entered the property. The court heard Davies, who had left the army in 2023 and was working in Abu Dhabi, had been sent home due to poor mental health and had searched online for terms including "how to stop being jealous in a relationship" and "how to fight paranoia" before the killing. Her family described her as "a truly extraordinary woman" who had shown Davies nothing but love and care, while South Wales Police called it an "awful case" that has deeply affected the community. Davies is due to be sentenced later this year, when a minimum term will be set.