Briton who shot dead his wife and hid her body in an oil drum for 23 years is jailed

Last updated at 10:06 18 March 2008


A British expatriate who shot his wife before hiding her body in an oil drum has been sentenced to 21 years in jail.

Frederick Boyle, formerly of Peterston-super-Ely, South Wales, was told he had shown "no remorse" for killing wife Edwina at their Melbourne home in October 1983.

Her body was kept in a 44-gallon drum for 23 years before being discovered.

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Guests at a 21st birthday party celebrate, oblivious to the fact that they are just a few feet away from the rusting oil drum containing Mrs Boyle's body

Justice Jack Forrest, speaking at the Supreme Court of Victoria, Melbourne, told Boyle: "You sought to live a lie with the sole aim of avoiding apprehension for your dastardly actions.

"You used a .22 calibre weapon to shoot her in the head, thus ending her life at the young age of 30 years. Your two daughters were in the next bedroom."

Mrs Boyle's remains were only found when son-in-law Michael Hegarty cut open the oil drum while cleaning the family home in October 2006 and found a hessian bag and women's clothing.

A fortnight later he found the same bag in a wheelie bin, and discovered Mrs Boyle's remains inside.

Boyle, 58, of Carrum Downs, Melbourne, was found guilty of murder by a jury last month.

His daughters Careesa, 35, and 32-year-old Shannon, attended the sentencing but did not comment afterwards.

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Boyle, a former Cardiff bus driver, denied murder and told the jury he panicked after finding his wife dead in bed.

He told his children she had left him for a truck driver called Ray.

The court heard Boyle was having an affair with Virginia Gissara, who moved into the family home two days after Mrs Boyle's death.

Justice Forrest said: "I am satisfied that underpinning the motive for the murder of the deceased was your relationship with Virginia Gissara and the effect it had upon your marriage.

"Rather than admit your wrongdoing, you were determined to construct a web of deceit and lies designed to deceive others into believing that the deceased had left you and run off with another man."

In a victim impact statement, Mrs Boyle's sister Valerie Bordley, of Watford, said she was left "traumatised" by the murder, and that the family had been "destroyed" by Boyle's actions.

Boyle, who moved to Australia with his wife in 1972, will not be eligible for parole for 17 years.

Speaking he was found guilty, his wife's other sister, Rose Speakman, of Cardiff, said she hoped he would spend the rest of his life in prison.

She said: "The last thing he said to her before they went to Australia was 'don't worry, I'll look after you'.

"Edwina and I were very close and he promised he would look after her and nothing would happen to her."

She said she was "surprised" Boyle murdered her sister and that it took years to accept he had done so.

Mrs Speakman added: "He had 20-odd years of freedom. To think he had her in the back garden all that time - even now it seems unbelievable."

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