Strangled mother found in bed near sleeping baby

A man strangled his wife and rang 999 to say where her body was - but said to "be careful" as the children were asleep, a court heard today.

Ronald Tyler, 47, was said to be "obsessively jealous" over 40-year-old Julie McKinley, the Old Bailey heard.

The mother-of-five's lifeless body was found in bed in the same room as the couple's 22-month-old son at their home in Finsbury Park, north London.

Jurors were told that Tyler killed her following a row after she returned home from a party in the early hours of December 31 last year.

The court heard that he later rang 999, giving the address before telling the operator: "You'll find there's a body there but be careful because there's four children asleep as well."

Police broke down the door of the property to find Ms McKinley lying in bed with the covers pulled up to her neck, and were unable to resuscitate her, said Michael Shorrock QC, prosecuting.

"The 22-month-old baby was asleep in his cot in the bedroom where the body was found," said Mr Shorrock. "Officers checked the other bedroom and found three children in there."

Tyler denies murder. Jurors were told that one of the issues in the case may be the claim that he was so drunk he did not know what he was doing.

The court heard that the couple, who had been together for 16 years and married for three, had three daughters aged eight, six, and four and a 22-month-old son. Ms McKinley also had a daughter from a previous relationship.

Mr Shorrock said: "This defendant was a man who was obsessively jealous of Julie and who had a violent temper particularly when in drink."

While she was out at the party there were 36 phone calls to her mobile phone from their flat, most of them unanswered, the court heard.

Tyler had told her sister that he was "worried sick" and had gone looking for her, said Mr Shorrock.

It is alleged that Tyler killed his wife shortly before he was seen on CCTV at 5.06am, coming out of the property and vaulting a wall.

A post-mortem examination was consistent with his account "that he had manually strangled his wife", said Mr Shorrock.