Husband 'sobbed' over wife search

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A husband accused of murdering his wife contacted police just hours after she went missing and sobbed while he made efforts to find her, a court heard.

Pc Ben Clark said David Chenery-Wickens was unable to say why he was so concerned when his wife had only been out of contact for a few hours.

The prosecution at Lewes Crown Court alleges he murdered his wife on 22 January last year.

The spiritualist minister, aged 51, from East Sussex, denies the charge.

Mrs Chenery-Wickens, 48, who worked as a television make-up artist, disappeared in January on a day she was due to attend a meeting at the BBC in London.

'Carrying money'

Mr Chenery-Wickens told officers they had travelled from East Grinstead to London where they parted but she failed to meet him later at a hairdressers called Blow.

David Bosley, Mr Chenery-Wickens' brother-in-law, said the defendant called him to say his wife was missing and he was concerned.

He added: "He said he had tried to ring her on her mobile but she was not answering and he was concerned. It was odd because it wasn't long after she had gone missing."

Mr Bosley said Mr Chenery-Wickens asked him to pick him up from East Grinstead railway station because his wife had the car keys, and they then travelled to Duddleswell, near Uckfield, East Sussex.

Mr Bosley said Mr Chenery-Wickens was concerned that his wife was carrying £1,000 to deposit at a bank.

The court was told they telephoned people who might know what had happened to her.

Mr Bosley said: "At one point David sobbed, almost child-like. I said, 'Let's get on and deal with the job in hand'."

'Very distressed'

Jurors were told Mr Chenery-Wickens visited the West End Central police station earlier in the day to report his wife missing.

In a statement, Pc Ben Clark, of the Metropolitan Police, said he appeared "very distressed and red in the face" and was unable to say why he was so concerned about his wife's well-being.

The prosecution claims Mr Chenery-Wickens murdered his wife then dumped her body in woodland after she began to uncover his sexual and financial lies.

Jurors have heard that he had cuts on his hands, forearms and face the day after the alleged murder.

The trial continues.