An evil wife who battered her husband and left him to die has been jailed for life and will serve a minimum of 16 years for his murder.
"Controlling" Hannegret Donnelly inflicted at least 78 gruesome injuries on 55-year-old Christopher in a long, twisted campaign of domestic abuse.
The mother-of-four called police a full 12 hours after Mr Donnelly, a biochemistry graduate, died of bronchial pneumonia on their bathroom floor.
Officers rushed to the blood-splattered home of the isolated and reclusive Christian couple, where Hannegret confirmed her husband of 23 years had died the previous evening.
She told police in March last year he had been unwell and had tried to revive him but had been unsuccessful, so had waited until the morning to contact the ambulance service.
However, horrific details of her abuse emerged after she divulged to officers at the scene she had battered her husband over the head with a rolling pin in the weeks before his death.
Just days before he died, the killer wrote in her diary: 'I did not allow him to go to the toilet.'
A police investigation began after she was arrested, and during police interview the 55-year-old admitted cruel and systematic domestic abuse towards her husband.
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Evidence was found throughout their property in Berryfields in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, including blood stains identified to be her husband's on furniture and walls, as a result of Hannegret's repeated and brutal beatings.
The victim was found to have 78 visible injuries at the time of his death, including a cauliflower ear, as well as internal injuries including fractures to his scapula, spine, and neck, fractures to the cartilage in his voice box and other traumatic injuries.
The spokesman confirmed these were caused by being hit either by a fist or another blunt object.
Mr Donnelly was previously described as a talented musician who studied at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and played the saxophone and clarinet, and met German-born Hannegret in 1992.
The couple have four children together, who are aged between 14 and 22.
Hannegret was charged with one count of wounding with intent on April 1, 2018, but at the beginning of her trial on March 4 this year she was charged with his murder.
Following a 13 day trial she was today convicted at Kingston Crown Court by unanimous verdict.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Felicity Parker, of Thames Valley Police's Protecting Vulnerable People Investigation Unit, said: "Hannegret subjected her husband to a prolonged period of domestic abuse, systematically hitting him with a variety of objects including a rolling pin when he said or did something she did not approve of.
"As a result of this ongoing abuse, Christopher's body was severely weakened, to the point where he died.
"Medical assistance was not sought by Mrs Donnelly when Christopher needed it the most and he subsequently died due to contracting pneumonia because of the injuries.
"The jury has found that Hannegret's actions towards her husband resulted in his death, and she has therefore been convicted of his murder.
"Domestic abuse can affect anyone in our society irrespective of their gender.
"Christopher was repeatedly physically abused by his wife, she controlled his life through threats and beatings and he did not or could not seek help.
"I would therefore urge anyone who is the victim of abuse to come forward and seek help, support and report it. Thames Valley Police takes all reports of domestic abuse seriously and will always listen, investigate and prosecute offenders wherever possible."
