Man who slit his girlfriend's throat after she celebrated her birthday facing life in jail

A “cold and callous” thug who slit his partner’s throat on her birthday is facing life in jail after being found guilty of murder.

Jeremy Clarke, 55, cut Tracey Evans’ throat “from ear to ear” after flying into rage before phoning relatives to confess: “I’ve killed the missus.”

Leicester Crown Court heard Tracey was found in the bath after she had been out at a pub celebrating her 52nd birthday on August 5 last year.

Clarke called his daughter and confessed to the crime but told her he planned to end his own life in a bid to save himself from prison.

Officers found him outside the flat they shared together in Measham, Leicestershire, with blood on his face and clothes and arrested him at the scene.

Clarke denied murder, claiming he had no recollection of committing the crime but was found guilty on Monday, following a trial.

The court heard that on the night of the murder Clarke and Tracey had been to a pub, with Clarke seen leaving on CCTV at 8.43pm while his partner followed six minutes later.

Officers discovered her body in the bath fully dressed, wearing shoes and clutching her handbag, with “significant injuries” to her neck.

Police said the most notable wound ran from “ear to ear” and measured around 24 centimetres (9ins) in length.

Detective Chief Inspector David Swift-Rollinson, of Leicestershire Police, said after the case: “Despite being seen with Tracey’s blood on him and confessing to two people he had killed Tracey, Clarke pleaded with one of them not to call police.

“He told others, including the police, he had tried to take his own life to spare himself having to spend many years in prison.”

Tracey’s daughter Jodie Winterson said: “Although we feel justice has partly been served with today’s verdict, no conviction or prison sentence will ever be enough for the physical, mental, financial and emotional abuse Jeremy Clarke subjected my mum to during their relationship, or the way he so brutally murdered her on her birthday.

“Jeremy’s actions will never be justified. His total lack of remorse for any of his actions are those only of a controlling bully and a cold, callous murderer.”