Cellmate `was told of family killing'

A father chose the eldest of his two sons to murder his wife because he was the biggest, a court was told yesterday.

David Howells told a cellmate he had promised to buy his teenage sons, Glenn and John, jet skis and take them on a cruise after they killed their mother, Eve, according to convicted burglar Barry Johnson. Johnson told Leeds Crown Court that Mr Howells, 48, discussed Mrs Howells' murder after drinking alcohol in their cell when they were on remand.

The teacher was bludgeoned to death at her home in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in August, 1995. Mr Howells, John, 15, and Glenn, 17, deny her murder.

David Howells was playing darts two miles away when his wife was killed and Mr Johnson told the court yesterday: "I said `if you weren't there, who did it?' David said `well, who else was there? Think about it.' I just kept pestering him to tell me. He said that it was his two children. He said he decided to get Glenn to do it because he was the biggest.

"He said he wasn't bothered how it was done - just to make it look as though it was a burglary."

The three defendants allegedly murdered Mrs Howells, 48, because she controlled their lives and they stood to inherit her substantial estate. The court had earlier been told that Mr Howells had found out about his wife's 12-year affair with his best friend.

The case continues.