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| Poet's stepson receives life sentence for her murder | Poet's stepson receives life sentence for her murder |
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| A renowned poet fascinated by the natural world and science was murdered by her stepson at her idyllic smallholding after he developed an “irrational hatred” of her, a court heard. | A renowned poet fascinated by the natural world and science was murdered by her stepson at her idyllic smallholding after he developed an “irrational hatred” of her, a court heard. |
| Anne Cluysenaar, 78, was stabbed in the neck, back and shoulder by Timothy Jackson the day after she celebrated her 39th wedding anniversary, Cardiff crown court heard. | Anne Cluysenaar, 78, was stabbed in the neck, back and shoulder by Timothy Jackson the day after she celebrated her 39th wedding anniversary, Cardiff crown court heard. |
| Jackson, 49, a carpenter from Sheffield, was jailed for life on Thursday after admitting murder and told he would serve at least 19 years in prison before being eligible for parole. | Jackson, 49, a carpenter from Sheffield, was jailed for life on Thursday after admitting murder and told he would serve at least 19 years in prison before being eligible for parole. |
| The court heard Jackson did not do well at school and felt he was “a disappointment and a failure” because his stepmother was highly educated and well known in academic circles. | The court heard Jackson did not do well at school and felt he was “a disappointment and a failure” because his stepmother was highly educated and well known in academic circles. |
| Judge Neil Bidder told Jackson, a skilled carpenter: “Your father and stepmother supported you both materially and emotionally. But you appear to have developed an irrational hatred of her and the murder was particularly brutal.” | Judge Neil Bidder told Jackson, a skilled carpenter: “Your father and stepmother supported you both materially and emotionally. But you appear to have developed an irrational hatred of her and the murder was particularly brutal.” |
| Cluysenaar, whose work was published in more than a dozen volumes and also taught at universities across the UK, lived with her husband Walter at their smallholding near Usk in south-east Wales. | Cluysenaar, whose work was published in more than a dozen volumes and also taught at universities across the UK, lived with her husband Walter at their smallholding near Usk in south-east Wales. |
| The court heard that in the days before the murder in November last year Jackson had frequently yelled at his stepmother. Just hours before she was killed, Cluysenaar emailed a friend saying her stepson had made “an appalling verbal attack and was threatening to become physical”. | |
| He picked up a kitchen knife that was lying on a sideboard during another argument and launched the fatal attack. | He picked up a kitchen knife that was lying on a sideboard during another argument and launched the fatal attack. |
| Jackson rang 999 and told police: “I’ve just murdered someone - my stepmother.” He told officers: “She tormented and taunted me – I just did it and stabbed her. She told me I wasn’t a good man and as a child wasn’t good enough.” | Jackson rang 999 and told police: “I’ve just murdered someone - my stepmother.” He told officers: “She tormented and taunted me – I just did it and stabbed her. She told me I wasn’t a good man and as a child wasn’t good enough.” |
| When police and paramedics arrived, they discovered Cluysenaar’s body in the living room. Jackson’s father later described his son as a strange character and a bully who “drank like a fish and became a wild animal”. | When police and paramedics arrived, they discovered Cluysenaar’s body in the living room. Jackson’s father later described his son as a strange character and a bully who “drank like a fish and became a wild animal”. |
| Cluysenaar, the daughter of two artists, arrived in Britain from Belgium just before the start of the second world war. The family initially settled in Somerset and she began writing verse as a child. She studied in at Trinity College, Dublin, and went on to lecture in literature, linguistics and creative writing. | Cluysenaar, the daughter of two artists, arrived in Britain from Belgium just before the start of the second world war. The family initially settled in Somerset and she began writing verse as a child. She studied in at Trinity College, Dublin, and went on to lecture in literature, linguistics and creative writing. |
| After moving to Wales, she co-founded the the Usk Valley Vaughan Association, among the aims of which is to celebrate Henry Vaughan, the metaphysical poet and doctor, and his twin brother, the alchemist Thomas Vaughan. | After moving to Wales, she co-founded the the Usk Valley Vaughan Association, among the aims of which is to celebrate Henry Vaughan, the metaphysical poet and doctor, and his twin brother, the alchemist Thomas Vaughan. |
| Paying tribute to her, the association said: “Anne was a person of great calm, human sympathy and good humour; she found her poetic inspiration in the natural world (particularly horses) as well as the spirituality of everyday lives. She will be much missed.” | Paying tribute to her, the association said: “Anne was a person of great calm, human sympathy and good humour; she found her poetic inspiration in the natural world (particularly horses) as well as the spirituality of everyday lives. She will be much missed.” |
| Cluysenaar told one interviewer: “Poetry is my ’country’. It is where I live.” An obituary on Cardiff University’s website said her poetry “smartly married lyricism and control”. It described her as “someone who cared deeply about teaching, about students and especially about poetry and her Wales”. | |
| Two poems published in the Guardian in 2012 reflected her love of nature and science. One was a tale of two doves that mistake the time of year and enjoy an unseasonal mating, the second featured the Higgs boson. | Two poems published in the Guardian in 2012 reflected her love of nature and science. One was a tale of two doves that mistake the time of year and enjoy an unseasonal mating, the second featured the Higgs boson. |