Husband locked wife in garden shed because she kept chanting 'Ding dong, the witch is dead' after his mother died

Andrew Salmon, 42, was upset with wife's reaction when his mother died

So when Beverley Salmon returned to their Truro home, he locked her out

He then locked her into their garden shed - she escaped through window

Row continued in the house and Salmon assaulted his wife, who is also 42

He said she had never liked his mother and wasn't kind when she died

Admitted assaulting his wife and told police he regretted everything he did

Salmon will be sentenced at Truro Magistrates' Court next month



Andrew Salmon, 42, locked his wife in a shed because she was unkind when his mother died, a court heard

An angry husband locked his wife in a garden shed during a row when she insulted his dead mother.

Andrew Salmon, 42, admitted attacking Beverley Salmon, also 42, at their home in Truro in a rage after she chanted 'Ding dong, the witch is dead' when his mother died.



Furious Salmon punched his wife, ripped her top open and twisted her breasts, Truro Magistrates' Court was told.

Prosecutor Gail Hawksley said the row began when Mrs Salmon arrived home from work to find the house locked, curtains drawn, and her clothes in bags on the ground.

Her husband told her: 'It's my house now. You are not getting in', before locking her in the garden shed, she said.

Magistrates heard she managed to climb out of the shed window, and used her key to get into the house, but Salmon grabbed her by the clothes.

As she slipped and fell, he tried to drag her out by her legs, the prosecutor said.



They went upstairs and the row continued. Mrs Salmon threw some of his clothes out of the window, and he threw her on the bed, got on top of her and ripped open her top.



He then put his arm across her throat causing her to struggle for breath, and grabbed and twisted her breasts.



When he was interviewed by police, Salmon admitted punching his wife, and claimed she was having an affair, the court heard.

He said she had not liked his late mother, and had not been supportive or kind about his loss when she died, instead taunting him by repeating: 'Ding dong, the witch is dead'.



Salmon, who has no previous convictions, told officers he had locked her in the shed to 'P*** her off' (file image)

Salmon, who has no previous convictions, told officers he had locked her in the shed to ‘p*** her off’, but said he knew she would be able to climb out of the window.



He told police he had been suffering from depression and said: 'I was provoked, but I am sorry for what I have done to my wife and regret everything I did.'

Speaking after the court case Salmon said his wife of almost twenty years acted 'extremely unsympathetic' after his mother passed away on December 27 last year.

Andrew said he has suffered from depression and stress since the incident on February 6

He said: 'She never really got on with my mum or any of my relatives and when my mum died she was horrible and offered me no support - she was extremely unsympathetic.

'She would sing "ding dong the witch is dead" from time to time and didn’t even come to her funeral.



'It was a really difficult time for me and my family.'

Andrew claims the argument initially erupted when a man - who Andrew suspected she was having an affair with - called her mobile.



The dad-of-two had put her sim card in a spare mobile phone while she was in the shower before work and claims that twenty minutes after she left that morning, the man called.

He said: 'The man hung up once I answered but I called Bev right away at work and told her that when she comes home, her clothes will be packed and outside the front door.



'She didn’t seem too bothered. She came back a couple of hours later.

Andrew said he then decided to lock Beverly in the shed to 'annoy her' as he knew it would irritate her and she would be able to get out.

He said: 'When she came back that morning her clothes were outside the house.

'I decided to lock her in the shed as I knew it would really annoy her and that she would be able to get out of a side door.'

Andrew said he has suffered from depression and stress since the incident on February 6.

He said: 'I shouldn’t have done it and I am sorry but I was provoked into doing it. The things she was saying about my mum were horrible.'

Truro Magistrates' Court: Salmon pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife, Beverley, and is awaiting sentence

He added: 'I’m sorry the argument ever happened.'

The couple, who have two children aged nine and 11, have been together for almost 20 years - though Andrew vows never to reconcile the relationship.

When approached after the court hearing, Beverly, who works as a receptionist, refused to comment.



Salmon pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife and will be sentenced next month.