A bully with a history of domestic violence has been convicted of murdering his lover at a Walton caravan park.
Terry Game strangled Lisa Sullivan, leaving her young son to find her battered and bruised body.
A jury of seven women and five men returned a guilty verdict with an 11 to one majority yesterday after nearly two days of deliberations at Basildon Crown Court.
Judge Philip Clegg branded Game a bully and sentenced him to stay behind bars for at least 15 years.
After the verdict was announced, Mrs Sullivan's estranged husband, Paul, said he was relieved justice had been done.
The court heard during the trial that Game was holidaying at Martello's Caravan Park with Mrs Sullivan and her three children when he murdered her on August 3.
She had told him he was useless in bed just hours before, the court heard.
Game denied murder and insisted he was acting in self-defence when Mrs Sullivan attacked him with a sock filled with two pence pieces. He claimed he used "reasonable force" to restrain her.
More in today's Evening Gazette
Published Thursday, March 30, 2006
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