A 59-year-old-man who kept his wife's death a secret for four days and slept next to her naked, decomposing body, has been jailed in his absence for 15 months.
After passing sentence on David Vernon at Gloucester Crown Court yesterday Judge Michael Cullum issued a warrant for his arrest so that he can be found and taken to prison.
Homeless Vernon had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to preventing the lawful and decent burial of Kelly Davis, aged 41.
Vernon did not show up for yesterday's hearing but Judge Cullum decided to proceed in his absence because members of Ms Davis' family had travelled from the Isle of Wight.
The court heard that after Ms Davis' death from complications of her alcohol abuse in June last year Vernon did not tell anyone or take any action to cover her body.
He carried on living normally, sleeping alongside her and going out to local shops to buy alcohol and tobacco.
Vernon, who is now homeless and living in a tent in the Cheltenham area, had been married to her for three-and-a-half years.
He had subjected her to domestic abuse during their relationship and when her body was found he was arrested on suspicion of murder but later released without charge.
Prosecutor Janine Wood said Vernon had once hit her with a hammer and on another occasion tried to strangle her.
She explained that when Vernon was last released from prison for breaching a restraining order against his wife he went and stayed with her at her home in Aldridge Close, Cheltenham, at the end of May 2019. By that date the court order banning him from contact with her had elapsed.
Mrs Wood said: "The last time Kelly spoke with her father was on May 23, 2019 and he made arrangement to pay money into her electricity account.
"Kelly's father then received text messages purporting to be from Kelly - but they never communicated that way and he thought this was suspicious. He even called Cheltenham hospital to see if she was there.
"Police attended the Cheltenham address on May 31 as Vernon had not been in contact with the probation service. There was no answer.
"On June 3, 2019, Vernon spoke to the shopkeeper of the local store and told him that his wife had died that day. The shopkeeper remembered the incident well as Vernon appeared not to be drunk, but stank of urine.
"On June 6, two women probation officers attended the address and they initially received no response when they knocked on the door.
"But while they were shouting through the letter box they noticed a putrid smell coming from within.
"Vernon then answered the door and asked the women, 'Do you want to see a dead body? She has been dead for three or four days'.
"The pair called the police and the paramedics who pronounced her dead at the scene."
The court was told that Kelly's body had begun decomposing and a subsequent post mortem revealed that she had a number of fractures to her ribs but her death was due to the complications of chronic alcohol abuse.
Mrs Wood explained that Vernon had plenty of opportunities to report Kelly's death and added: "He was using her bank card in the shop, he could have told them to contact the police.
"He lived in an area surrounded by telephone kiosks and the hospital itself is only a short walk away."
The court was told that when Vernon was arrested he said that Kelly had died three days earlier and that he had slept next to her when she was dead.
Kelly's father Norman Davis said: "In the final year of her life she was reluctant for me to visit her so I phoned her almost every day.
"But when I received text messages I became increasing concerned as to what had happened to her as we did not communicate in this way. I even contacted the local hospitals in vain.
"On June 6 my worst suspicions were realised when the police contacted me to tell me that Kelly had died.
"Kelly was an alcoholic who tried hard to fight her illness and embarked on a course of rehabilitation.
"Two women, who also received alcohol treatment, spoke to me at Kelly's funeral and revealed what an inspiration she had been to them. Unfortunately Kelly was unable to do that for herself.
"In reality she died sober, while her husband lived it up by using her bank card, smoking and buying whisky.
"What concerns me the most is that Vernon did not make the effort to call the emergency services when she fell ill or when she had died.
"Vernon was only interested in himself and it was myself who organised Kelly's funeral.
"Vernon is due to benefit from her estate, which is around £10,000. He doesn't deserve this. A portion of the money should be given to a charity to help people like my daughter."
Judge Cullum said: "This was a toxic relationship between the two of them. However, I've seen Vernon's psychiatric report and it's obvious that he is suffering from impairment caused by alcoholism."
Steve Young, defending, said he had known Vernon for many years and added "I believe he is suffering from confabulation - a symptom of various memory disorders - as he constantly changes his description of events over what happened.
"He claims Kelly died on the day he was arrested. This makes no sense other that it being the date of death as recorded on the certificate.
"I question what his capacity was to deal with issues in June? He was always loving towards Kelly and carried their wedding photograph around in his wallet, yet he has not shown any remorse.
"He is suffering from alcohol dependency syndrome which has damaged his brain and affects his ability to make rational decisions.
"Vernon has had the offer of accommodation but turned it down preferring to live in a tent in Cheltenham.
"There are no real alternatives to custody and in reality this would be in his best interests so he can stay away from alcohol and begin to regain his health.
"I have no explanation as to why he did what he did. It is an extremely sad case and very distressing for Kelly's family.
"Vernon never said a bad word about his wife and always spoke lovingly about her.
"But the way he dealt with life since her death is a reflection of his alcoholic lifestyle."
Judge Cullum said: "Kelly was 41 when she died. I never got to meet her so I am grateful to her father for explaining some of the missing details in her life.
"Just picking one detail, it is of note that at her funeral two fellow alcoholics took their time to speak to Mr Davis to explain to him what an inspiration Kelly had been to them whilst sadly not being able to overcome her own demons.
"Her last few years were clearly unhappy in that she died in such squalid circumstances, which she didn't want her father to see.
"In choosing not to contact the relevant authorities the defendant has highlighted those squalid conditions. The details surrounding Kelly's death and what happened afterwards could have been so different had he made one phone call.
"I am sentencing Vernon in his absence. He leads a chaotic life. As has been pointed out there is no real alternative to prison.
"Mr Young says that Vernon always held Kelly in some affection, a phrase that no doubt jars with her family given that their knowledge of that relationship was based on assaults, harassment and restraining orders which he frequently breached.
"But once she died, he chose to continue to smoke, drink and go to the local shops knowing that she had died.
"She probably died some four days before her body was discovered, by which time her body was decomposing, depriving her of a decent burial. He didn't even cover her up and left her naked.
"Vernon is a man with brain damage due to his alcoholism which will descend into full blown dementia unless he abstains immediately.
"He was so self absorbed in his own life that he didn't break out and alert the authorities."
The judge sentenced Vernon to a jail term of 15 months and issued a warrant for his arrest to be taken straight to prison to serve his sentence.
