The Catch-up: Sally Challen to be freed for killing ‘cruel’ husband

What happened?

A woman who killed her ‘cruel’ husband in a hammer attack in 2010 is to walk free from prison after almost a decade behind bars. Georgina Challen, known as Sally, said she killed 61-year-old husband Richard after years of being controlled and humiliated by him. She has been granted bail by a judge ahead of a new trial into his death. She has now pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder.

What has changed?

The decision to grant Ms Challen bail and hold a retrial came after judges said the original decision was undermined by evidence from a psychiatrist who said Challen was suffering from two mental disorders at the time of the killing.

It also follows a campaign by her sons, David, 32, and James, 35, to overturn the murder conviction. They said today in a statement: “We are overjoyed that bail has been granted to our mother and that she will now be released back to us. Our mother now rejoins our family. We are respecting the reporting restrictions now placed on the case so cannot comment further.”

The defence now argues Ms Challen was a victim of coercive control, which became a crime in 2015. According to Women’s Aid, the crime is defined as an ‘act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim’.

Read more
‘We need to look at wider problem of domestic violence’ (The Independent)
Son welcomes ‘fantastic’ new Domestic Abuse Act (PA Ready News)
Sons ‘overjoyed’ at release of mother (PA Ready News)

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