Father speaks of family's trauma after axe murder

THE father of a woman murdered in an axe attack by her husband says his family has been "traumatised" by the killing and are struggling to recover from their loss.

Lillian Taylor was hacked to death by her husband Emrys, who then blamed his mother-in-law for causing him to kill his wife in a 999 call.

The 43-year-old had been a devoted carer for 20 years for her elderly and disabled mother who lived ten minutes walk from her home in Bonnyrigg, Midlothian.

Her father, Matthew Winter, said he and his wife, Wilhemina, 79, had been ready to give evidence against their son-in-law for killing their "pride and joy".

Mrs Taylor had made one of her regular night-time phone calls to her wheelchair-bound mother, minutes before her killer dialled emergency services and confessed to her murder.

The 64-year-old accused pled guilty to the murder at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday and spared the elderly couple from appearing in court.

Mr Winter said: "We were due to give evidence as witnesses in court. My wife is disabled and not very well.

"This has traumatised the whole family. We are trying to put it behind us."

After attacking their daughter, Taylor told a 999 controller: "I've just killed my wife. I'll go to prison for the rest of my life, it doesn't matter.

"There's no need for an ambulance, just take her straight to the morgue."

Taylor admitted repeatedly striking his wife on the head with an axe at their home on April 3 this year. He now faces a life sentence.

The court heard that Taylor continued to blame his mother-in-law for causing him to kill his wife and kept making offensive remarks about her during the call.

Shortly before that call, Mrs Taylor, who lived in Laird Terrace, had phoned her mother.

Mrs Winter heard her daughter say: "Wait a minute Emrys, I'm speaking on the phone." Immediately after that remark she heard something that sounded like a growl.

She asked her daughter what the noise was but got no reply and found their conversation abruptly terminated.

Taylor later made his 999 call confessing to killing his wife and was asked to check for a pulse, but replied: "I'm not touching her, she's dead."

At the scene, police found a large felling axe on the living room floor and blood spatters on walls. Mrs Taylor was in a chair with her feet resting on a table, and had suffered severe head injuries.

Taylor, who had worked in building and mining, had been on sickness benefits and had a 25-year history of personality problems relating to anger control and obsessive, compulsive behaviour coupled with heavy drinking.

Sentencing was deferred for background reports.