This is the chilling moment a Barclays executive pretended to have 'found' his wife's dead body outside his home - but in reality had murdered her with a metal crowbar.

Bespectacled computer expert David Pomphret, 51, battered Ann Marie, 49, with the weapon, striking her more than 30 times over the head at the stables where they kept horses near their home in Winwick, Cheshire, last November 2.

The couple, who shared their home with their 18-year-old daughter Megan, had gone to pick up tools at a nearby Asda to fix the shower but the 'volatile' wife began 'ranting' at him, he claimed.

Pomphret told his trial at Liverpool Crown Court that she shouted at him, called their daughter a 'fat s***', mocked his sexual performance and slapped him, which prompted him to snap and beat her to death in a 'temporary loss of control'.

But when police first arrived at his house following her death, he pretended he was not the one responsible - and was only caught out after a speck of blood was found on his sock. He was today found guilty of her murder.

This is the moment David Pomphret pretended to have found his wife's dead body. In reality, he had shockingly murdered her, then covered up his crimes by burning his clothes and throwing the murder weapon into a pond, and then lying about what happened

David Pomphret (pictured), 51, has been found guilty by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court of the murder of his wife Ann Marie, 49, who he bludgeoned to death with a crowbar last November 2

Ann Marrie Pomphret, 49, (pictured) had a number of issues, including being on the autism spectrum, having Asperger syndrome, and had recently had treatment for cancer

A harrowing CCTV image shows the couple wandering through the aisles of an Asda supermarket just hours before Pomphret battered his wife to death with a crowbar

Pomphret bludgeoned his wife to death with a crowbar (pictured) in a 'frenzied' attack and is now facing a life sentence for murder after being 'undone' by a speck of blood on his sock

Shocking footage shows Pomphret sitting in the back of an ambulance explaining to police that he had found his wife 'just lying there' after going out to the stables to check on her.

Asked about what happened, he tells police: 'Couple of hours ago, wife comes down the stables on her own. She said she'd forgotten something.

'I don't know whether it was something to do with the horses or why she came down. I did some bits and pieces of DIY around the house.

'I thought she was taking her time. Tried to text her, got nothing back. Tried to text her again, a little bit longer, nothing back.

'Thought she'd got a problem with the horses. We've had it in the past where people have crashed through the fence or the horses have got out.

'So I brought some torches down, and she's just lying there. Oh God, she's just lying there.'

He also pretends to have given her mouth-to-mouth but says he 'almost threw up' doing it.

Pomphret gave no reaction as the chairman of the jury delivered the unanimous guilty verdict following 10 hours, 42 minutes of deliberations.

Described as a 'quiet man', the jury was told the Barclays technology expert suffered years of physical and mental abuse at the hands of his wife, who struggled with depression, an autistic personality disorder and recent cancer diagnosis.

A harrowing CCTV image shows the couple wandering through the aisles of the supermarket just hours before Pomphret battered his wife to death with a crowbar at their home.

After he killed her, he dialled 999, saying he had found his wife lying in a pool of blood, 'very dead', adding: 'There is brain and blood everywhere, and it looks like she has had her head beaten in.'

Pomphret (pictured) gave no reaction as the chairman of the jury delivered the unanimous guilty verdict following 10 hours, 42 minutes of deliberations

As part of a conniving act, he refused to give his wife CPR and told the car handler 'she is white as a sheet, [her] chest isn't moving' and declined to give chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth, adding: 'No no, she is stone cold.'

When encouraged further, he replied: 'Are you joking?'

He burned his bloodstained clothes, disposed of the murder weapon, protested his innocence and was released on bail - but did not destroy his socks, which would 'come back to haunt him'.

He was re-arrested after police found his wife's 'airborne blood' on his socks, a 'huge mistake' putting him at the scene of the crime.

He then had to change his story, the jury was told, and admit manslaughter, tearfully telling jurors he 'killed the woman he loved'.

Pomphret still denied premediated murder, instead claiming a 'special defence' and blaming his wife's behaviour for a temporary loss of control.

He told the court: 'One of Marie's favourite TV programmes was CSI and one of the things they always said is you can't get rid of blood.'

But he was today convicted of murder by the jury today following a 10-day trial.

His daughter Megan watched from the public gallery, supported by friends and police officers.

Judge David Aubrey told Pomphret: 'You have been convicted by the jury of the crime of the murder of your wife. There can only be one sentence - a sentence of life imprisonment.'

He said he would set the minimum term before the 51-year-old is eligible for parole when he passes sentence next Tuesday.

Pomphret appears to break down as he tells police he found his wife's body dead in the house

Pictured: The family's stables in Winwick, Warrington, where Pomphret murdered his wife

The couple, who shared their Winwick home (pictured) with their 18-year-old daughter, had gone to pick up tools to fix the shower but the 'volatile' wife began 'ranting' at him, he claimed

Previously, Gordon Cole QC, prosecuting, told the jury: 'One huge, huge mistake - this man did not get rid of his socks.

'Without the socks, there is no forensic evidence linking him to the scene.

'The huge mistake was he did not get rid of his socks. There was airborne blood that put him at the scene of the murder.

'Now he's at a scenario he was at the scene. What's the next least worst alternative? Loss of self-control.'

Pomphret had tried to 'pull the wool' over the jury's eyes by claiming he simply lost control due to his wife's behaviour, Mr Cole added.

The trial heard the couple met on Mrs Pomphret's 21st birthday and were 'happily married' with one daughter, Megan.

But, over the course of their nearly 30-year relationship, his wife's physical and mental health deteriorated, the jury was told.

Mrs Pomphret had a number of issues, including being on the autism spectrum, having Asperger syndrome, and had recently had treatment for cancer.

The defendant said he and their daughter developed 'coping mechanisms', removing themselves, or his wife, from a situation and deciding to 'let her rant'.

The road near the family stables is pictured cordoned off with a heavy emergency services presence after Mrs Pomphret was murdered last November

A police cordon is pictured blocking off the scene with a cordon and police car last November

Last November 2 had been a normal day, the court heard - Pomphret went to work, then the couple went shopping at Asda before visiting their stables near their home to check on their horses.

The defendant said he needed to pick up tools to fix the shower at home, but she shouted he was 'f****** crazy' and 'just going to create more shit', before criticising their daughter.

He told the court: 'She ranted at me for being a bad parent, calling me f****** useless. Called me limp and useless. I was not performing very well.

'Marie was at this point raging, absolutely raging, finger pointing, screaming. She then slapped me across the face.

'Er, I remember reaching out, grabbing her hood and ... I don't remember. I was standing at the side of her body.

'There was blood on my hands and the crowbar. She was on the floor.'

Defensive injuries to his victim's hands and arms were found as his wife covered her head to try to avoid the blows.

He told the jury he had panicked and 'stupidly' decided to try to cover his tracks.

Under-cross examination, Pomphret told the jury he lied to police because he wanted to be there for Megan and to 'avoid this' in court.

Prosecutor Mr Cole added: 'What is 'this'? 'This' is justice for killing somebody. For killing his wife in the way he did.'

Pomphret will be sentenced next Tuesday.