British Man Kills Wife, Puts Her with Christmas Presents

by Pamela Mortimer

Traffic officers in West Chiltington were notified of a car accident that left one man dead. The officers, based in the West Sussex district of the U.K., arrived at the scene around 9 P.M. Sunday evening where they discovered a man with serious injuries.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "The car driver was rushed to Worthing General Hospital, where he died shortly after arriving." Goswell died at 1 A.M. on Christmas Eve morning.

When officers drove the half mile to break the news to Goswell’s wife, Susan, there was no reply at the door although there was a car parked outside the residence. Officers sensed that something suspicious was in the air kicked in the door. They found Susan’s bloodstained body among gift wrapped presents and holiday decorations.

"Officers initially went to the address to inform the occupants of the accident, but upon arrival they found a car in the drive but no answer at the door, so officers forced entry and found the body among Christmas decorations," said a police source.

However, police declined to comment on how Susan Goswell died until they received the report from a postmortem examination to be carried out today.

"Police are treating her death as murder and a post-mortem examination on her body is due to take place on Boxing Day."

In light of the death of his wife, police assume that the car accident was wasn’t an accident - that Roger Goswell killed himself by driving his Smart car into a tree.

A police source said: "We are working on the assumption that the husband killed his wife and then killed himself by driving his car into a tree.

Many in the Goswells’ West Chiltington neighborhood were yesterday 'shocked beyond belief' by the Christmas tragedy.

Eileen Rogers, 53, said: "Susan was lovely. I didn't know Roger very well, but Susan was great fun. I can't believe it. To have such a horrible thing happen on your doorstep is truly numbing. I can't enjoy Christmas knowing what happened to that poor woman."

Another neighbor added: "A policeman told me they knew something was not right at the house as soon as they arrived. Susan's car was parked outside but when they hammered on the door they could not get an answer. That's when they forced their way in and found her body. It is absolutely awful. It makes you wonder what must have been going through his mind."

The couple are survived by two daughters, Rebecca, 39, and Sarah, 42.

The murder investigation is being spearheaded by Detective Chief Inspector Adam Hibbert of Sussex Police's Major Crime Branch. Police have no other suspects.