A POLICEMAN has been jailed for life for murdering his police constable fiancee.
Martin Forshaw, 27, of Meadow Way, Tottington, Bury, admitted killing 31-year-old Claire Howarth, on the day his trial was due to start at Manchester Crown Court.
Forshaw was told he will serve a minimum of 18 years behind bars.
Pc Howarth, originally from Blackley and who served in the Rochdale division, died in hospital in the early hours of May 7.
Forshaw bludgeoned his girlfriend at least five times with a lump hammer just hours before they were due to fly out to their wedding in St Lucia, which was to take place five days later.
Bogus
The defendant then carried her downstairs at their three bedroom semi-detached home in Tottington, Bury, in the early hours of May 7 this year and took her to her BMW car.
Prosecutor Ray Wigglesworth QC said he drove around secluded country lanes in the area before he staged a bogus road accident and dialled 999.
Forshaw placed Miss Howarth, who was still alive, in the driver’s seat and using his foot on the accelerator sat beside her he then crashed the vehicle into a hedge.
When police and paramedics arrived at the scene Forshaw, known to friends and family as Alex, told them his fiance had not been wearing a seatbelt.
She was rushed to Royal Bolton Hospital where she was pronounced dead later that day.
Relationship
Forshaw had been a serving police office with Cheshire Constabulary since November 2003 and was an expert in self defence and violent persons’ training.
Miss Howarth had joined Greater Manchester Police in March 2007 and had just completed a two-year probation with the force and had selected to be a community beat manager in Rochdale.
The couple had been in a relationship for 10 months and were set to fly to London Gatwick airport on the day of Miss Howarth’s death for a connecting flight to the Caribbean island where they were to be joined by family and friends.
Implausible
However, Mr Wigglesworth said there was evidence that Forshaw was also still seeing the mother of his four-year-old son at the same time and had kept the pending wedding a secret from some of his colleagues.
A post-mortem examination showed that Miss Howarth suffered multiple injuries with 14 separate injuries to her head and neck.
Forshaw later told detectives in interview that Miss Howarth had been struck while he was trying to defend himself from her attacking him with the mallet, but pathologists ruled that account was “totally implausible.”
Background:
May 7 Cop couple in death crash mystery
June 2 Farewell to tragic policewoman
June 11 Mum's anguish over tragic cop
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He hung on till the very last moment before pleading guilty. Utterly cowardly just to get a more lenient sentence. Shame on you. you spineless coward.
Scum. I hope he rots forever what what he did to that girl
Well I hope this festering boil on humanity gets what he deserves.
Fanny Ayres, Woodhouse Park
23/11/2009 at 13:12
The case was so serious it had to be heard at Crown Court. Magistrates cannot accpet a Plea for Murder, hence the case having to go to Crown Court. From what I have read, this was his first opportunity to enter a Plea.
Ah got life- well done that Judge. And 18 years is a start.
It's so sad for her mum who brought her up alone and adored her. My mum know her from Blackley.
Dirty low life nasty piece of work. It makes you wonder just what is out there.
From someone who worked overseas with Claire, she was helpful, caring and a pleasure to have met, he desreves everything he gets and i hope he rots in there and gets everything he deserves inside!!!! R.I.P CLAIRE
I hope this fella is put in with the normal prison population. He'll need is self defence skills there!!!
Good enough for the coward.
Sheikh Rattle 'n' Roll With It, Bury
" The case was so serious it had to be heard at Crown Court. Magistrates cannot accpet a Plea for Murder, hence the case having to go to Crown Court. From what I have read, this was his first opportunity to enter a Plea."
Sorry Sheikh, you obviously know more about the judicial system than I do.
Sheikh Rattle 'n' Roll With It, Bury
You are wrong. This was the start of the trial. A plea could have been made prior to this and had there been, there would have been no trial date set.
There are several opportunities to submit a guilty plea and and a defendant can, at any time, request a court date to submit a plea.
What Fanny Ayres is rightly refering to is the sentencing guidlines, ie a third off for a guilty plea at first court hearing compared to a tenth off for pleading guilty on the day of trial - which this man did.
That is why you see recommended life tariffs of 13 and 18 years so often. 20 year life tariff with a third and a tenth off respectively.
A tragic story. God knows what has gone so wrong in this relationship that made him lose total control of himself and kill her. Two wasted lives and many more ruined besides. Rest in Peace Claire
should have got 40 years, he not only murdered a beautiful vibrant police officer but he then attempted to cover his tracks , pure evil, in hindsight I know 18 years is the minimum this animal will serve but for murder of a police officer should carry a minimum of 40 years.
Putting this sad story to one side - Ive noticed there is a "submit comment on every story
Except- The terorism story in Longsight last week and the
Child trafficking this week - Why MEN ? - (No comments can be allowed on active cases)
TheRealWorld ,
23/11/2009 at 15:10
Well I wont argue with you.......... I would like to add that 18 years is not enough, life should mean life.
The most disturbing thing about it is that after he hit her with the hammer he drove her round for ages while she was still alive finding somewhere to fake the crash. It wasn't a split second thing. He had plenty of time to call an ambuance and make ammends which he would have done if he had one ounce of decency.
WHY IS IT THAT RTHE PRETTIER THE WOMAN IS, THE UGLIER HER BOYFREIND IS.
As a Police Officer in the general prison population I think we will all sleep better knowing that the error of his ways will be pointed out to him in a way the judicial system does not allow.
I have read most of the com ments made about this murder.
The sentence is a minimum of 18 years, which means he cannot be considered for release until he has served 18years. I beleive that his crime of murder was very serious. His victim had a full life to lead, being pretty should not have any bearing on the sentence, nor should the fact he was a police person. The judges have rules to follow, so they can arrive at a reasonable sentence for each case they try. We do not have a death penalty, and we should be very proud of that, when any one asks me about the death penalty, I think of Stefan Kiszko,and his family R.I.P.
scooby snacks - Rochdale - you last post is absolutely spot on - this vile creature did nothing to help - i hope he gets what he so badly deserves whilst languishing for the next 18 years
on a seperate note just hope he didn't show a similiar level of aggression whilst doing the day job ......
Very worrying that this low life was a Policeman, someone like doctors we are suppose to trust. But then again we had Shipman. I wonder what his motives were for joing the Police? Prob Power!
I note that he pleaded guilty on the day of his trial. What caused that significant change of heart, I wonder? Was he advised to do so by his defence - if so, am I correct in thinking that a defence team (Barrister Solicitor and hangers on)still get paid what the costs would have been, if a full trial had gone ahead? Sounds like a good scheme to me!
I think you need to get your story right...she dod not die DURING A CAR CRASH!
This murder was a tragedy indeed and my thoughts are with the woman's family.
On the flip side, however, it must be noted that having known someone who committed a crime with circumstances much like we see in the case above, you must not forget that anyone at any time has the capabilities to commit such an act and we as the reader simply know what is written in front of us and not the rest of the story behind it.
With regard to the people saying things about the man getting what he deserves whilst he is serving his time, i.e Inmates attacking him etc, in my opinion those comments are ridiculous. He got what he deserved in a fair court of law today. People refer to him as a "coward", sat behind their key boards it must be noted, and yet surely a man who steps up and admits to the murder of his fiancee, is far from that and is in fact the complete opposite.
The saying, in my opinion, "don't joke about a dead man" is perfectly applicable to this case as you and I know that the man is not going to be here to defend himself for a long time, which is why i felt it was necessary to step in as i'm sure there is a large portion of the story that you have not been told.
The police expect the general public to trust them....what a joke!!