Cheating Banker Burned His Wife Alive Over Cheating Allegations

Darren Byrne was today found guilty of murdering spouse Maria, 35, in the kitchen of their £450,000 home in Theydon Bois, Essex.

Judge Charles Gratwicke told the murderer: 'You have been convicted of what can only be described as a wicked and heinous crime.

'I say nothing further at this stage save that you can expect an exceedingly long sentence.'

Byrne, 40, frantically trying to cover his tracks after knocking out his wife, 35, by dousing her in white spirit and setting her ablaze.

He even called 999 and a recording played to the court showed him pretending to have found his wife dead after an horrific accident.

Mrs Byrne was killed she found a text between her husband and his London osteopath revealing an illicit relationship.

A jury heard how furious Maria confronted her husband as he had promised he would stop seeing married Deborah Houlihan.

Ms Houlihan had told the court she carried on seeing Byrne despite both of their partners believing the affair was over.

She said: 'Deep down in my heart I knew it was wrong but we made each each other feel good and I felt excited by the spark we had between us.'

Byrne had told his wife, who was also the mother of his two children, that the affair was over on February 13, but she discovered a text on a secret phone he used to speak to his mistress and a furious argument ensued.

Byrne knocked Maria out and, as she lay on the floor, he poured white spirit on her and set her alight. He then turned on the gas stove in a bid to set fire to his house.

After this failed, he moved the his wife's body to make it look like a tragic cooking accident. He then called the emergency services, saying 'My wife is dead she is dead. She's burnt badly.'

Byrne told police he been out walking the dog whilst his wife made him a BLT sandwich but returned home to find her lying on the floor.

The court heard how the couple met in the City when they both worked at banks and fell in love before having two children who 'mercifully' were not present when their mother was killed.

Jurors heard they were a 'happy family unit' until she discovered her husband's infidelity and their relationship deteriorated.

Mrs Byrne had agreed to give it another go and took Byrne back when he promised he would change. The couple had planned to go to America to celebrate his 40th birthday.

Mr Jackson said: 'She was extremely hurt and upset by what she had discovered and we heard her immediate reaction was for the defendant to leave their home.

'[Mrs Byrne] did all that she could do to save and revive their marriage - they had two children and the defendant was told by her that he could come back to the family home.'

Byrne decided to carry on seeing Mrs Houlihan and bought a second phone, determined his wife would not 'catch him out'.

Mr Jackson added: 'He was determined his wife wouldn't catch him out and he bought an unregistered pay as you go mobile phone.

'The purpose of that was simple, it was to contact Mrs Houlihan.'

Byrne was found guilty of murder by a majority verdict of 11/1 and arson unanimously.

Speaking after the verdict, Mrs Bryne's devastated mother Linda Biggs said: 'I hope he is sentenced to life, whole life. And after death that he rots in eternal damnation.'

She added: 'What Darren Byrne has done is beyond any human comprehension. Justice has been served today for our beautiful, loving, loyal, kind gentle and loving daughter.

'She was everything to us, our whole world.  Our world ended on 13th February this year when we were told by the police that she was dead.

'Eight years ago we entrusted her, the most precious thing we had to Darren Byrne. We loved him and treated him like our own son.

'This person instead of loving and protecting her, took her life in the most degrading way.

'Until Darren gave evidence in this trial we as a family had no idea what had happened that day because he had never told anyone.

'Having to sit in court and hear what Darren said he had done to Maria was beyond words.

'The utter devastation this has caused our family is indescribable and we feel immense pain. None more so than Maria's two sons.

'They will have to grow up without a Mummy or a Father and are now in effect orphans by Darren's actions. Darren did not think of the boys at all when he took Maria's life.'