Jealous Husband Orders Wife To Swallow Wedding Ring

A man identified as Shaun Dyson has ordered his estranged wife, Lucy-Anne Rushton, to swallow her wedding ring before allegedly beating her to death.

The 28-year-man is accused of murdering his wife in the hours of June 23 by repeatedly jumping on her at their home in Andover, Hampshire.

The prosecutor, Simon Jones, told Winchester Crown Court that the pair had married in 2010 having eloped to Gretna Green but Ms Rushton became the victim of a “history of domestic violence”.

Jones while speaking at the court said, “The defendant’s and Lucy’s relationship is probably best described as toxic.”

“Lucy was killed by the defendant; she was the victim of a prolonged and very severe beating, culminating in repeated stamping or jumping or both on her chest and while she was laid on her back.”

He further stated, “There was no justification for blow after blow, kick after kick, stamp after stamp on Lucy. This was borne out of jealous rage in a violent man.”

Jones claimed that Dyson got angry following the call received by Rushton from a man she had been in a relationship with.

He noted that a witness saw the defendant tell his wife to swallow the ring because they are not together again.

The source stated that Rushton, however, did not swallow the ring because it was later spotted on the stairs.

The prosecutor noted that Rushton had told her family members before the incident that she is scared that Dyson would murder her.

The prosecutor added: “She was convinced that he was going to do something to her and if he couldn’t have her, no-one could.”

Mr Jones said that, in February, Ms Rushton had also raised concerns about the defendant and that he “had a bag ready with a change of clothes and weapons”.

He said Ms Rushton’s mother had also witnessed attacks by Dyson, including over Facetime.

Mr Jones continued: “The fact that Lucy had concerns for her life shortly before she was killed is a significant indication of the state of the relationship and the concern Lucy had of the defendant, who could turn to violence on the most extreme scale with the most extreme consequences.”

“It’s not disputed the defendant killed Lucy. We say what happened that night was not a momentary loss of control but the culmination of previous episodes of violence that had preceded that night.”

The jury was shown CCTV footage of the defendant striking and spitting at Ms Rushton in a hotel corridor in Bournemouth in September 2018.

Dyson, however, denied the allegation levelled against him.