In 2017, Stephen Anthony Searle,[1] a UK Independence Party (UKIP) general election candidate and recent member of Suffolk County Council, murdered his wife[2] and told police "I’ve been a very naughty boy".
[4] Stephen Searle, 64, was a UKIP member of Suffolk County Council for Stowmarket South, elected in May 2013.
[7] He told the 999 operator "I've just killed my wife",[5] that this was a "bit of a bizarre situation but you know... never mind" and when asked whether there were just two people in the house replied that there was "well just the one of us now".
[3] When paramedics arrived, Anne Searle was found unresponsive and despite their best efforts, she was immediately pronounced dead.
Another colleague, Sally Cutting, also said she was told by Anne in June 2017 that the bruises were caused by the way Stephen grabbed her arms.
The witness said in the days before, he insisted on arguing about the affair every night when Anne just wanted to move on and stopped her from eating Christmas lunch by throwing the meat and trimmings in the bin.
[3] Stephen Searle had an affair with Anastasia Pomiateeva, the mother of his grandchild and partner of his son Gary, in the summer of 2017, several months before the murder.
[3] The judge said Stephen Searle "caused devastating waves of pain and anguish to crash through your entire family" and "brought grief and distress untold [...] You have deprived your children of the mother that they loved.
"[3] UKIP's former leader at Suffolk County Council, Bill Mountford, said: "I'm not condoning it in any way but I was very, very sad to hear of Steve's conviction.
The Fawcett Society was also "shocked" by Mountford's views, saying: "We talk about getting wet in a shower of rain as 'these things happen', not the murder of a woman by her partner.