Rotherham mum Pauline Caster jailed for life for brutally killing her husband as 'toxic' marriage ends in murder

Jan 21, 2024

The mum-of-three was seen on CCTV stamping on Kevin Caster before his death

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A mum-of-three has been handed a life sentence for the brutal murder of her husband.

Pauline Caster, 44, has been told she must serve at least seven years and three months behind bars before she can go before the Parole Board who will decide if she is safe to be released. Caster murdered her husband Kevin on October 19, 2021. She pleaded guilty on Wednesday, during the third day of her trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

On Thursday, Caster appeared for sentencing and the court heard how she had been heard shouting and seen stamping on her husband before his death.

Read more: Live as Yorkshire woman Pauline Caster sentenced for murder of husband

Prosecutor Imran Shafi said a witness heard Caster shouting: "Are you hurting you b*****?' and described her "stamping down." CCTV footage confirmed the attack went on for around 20 minutes.

The court was told Caster failed to call the emergency services to High Hazel Crescent, Rotherham, until one hour and 40 minutes later, and she gave different accounts to witnesses and paramedics about what had happened.

Mr Shafi said that at around 10pm, a neighbour returned home and heard Caster shouting: "Help, help, my husband is dead." The prosecutor said Mr Caster's cousin went to the scene and heard her saying he had taken "loads of pills." It was said Caster told the man her husband had been to he pub and had been in a fight and then said: "No, he's overdosed and took a load of his epilepsy tablets."

Caster then told paramedics Kevin had taken tablets for epilepsy and started "fitting and foaming at the mouth". Mr Shafi said Caster was not immediately arrested as she had "no visible injuries" and "there was white powder, tablets in the hallway and around the body of Kevin Caster".

The court was told Mr Caster had taken a "cocktail of drugs", including Lamotrogine before his death, and would have died if his wife's attack upon him had not happened. His cause of death was given as a combination of injuries and toxicity.

Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, said: "Stripping away much of the medical detail it appears he had taken a cocktail of drugs, which included a fatal dose of Lamotrigine, she then simultaneously or at some stage thereafter, beats him up, the view of the pathologist is that the two together killed him. But even if she had not done what she had done, he would have died anyway."

The Casters' marriage was described as "volatile" and "toxic" and his mother told the court in a statement: "I was so scared of seeing him and Pauline while they were under the effect of drugs. It was clear they loved each other but this love was toxic. It is sad they came to care more about their drugs than they did their own children and family."

In his statement, the couple's son said it was "inevitable" one of them would die. He said: "They loved each other and I would say they loved each other too much...They both used to abuse medications they had been prescribed...If they were prescribed a week's worth of medication on a Monday they would take it all day."

Caster's son said his father would attack her and he would "genuinely fear he would kill my mum." He said when he had heard someone in the house had died, he assumed it was his father from an overdose or Caster. He said: "While I accept she has done this, I do think the drug abuse would have played a part. I feel the death of one of them was inevitable."

As he sentenced Caster, Judge Richardson said: "The circumstances of this case are both tragic and extremely unusual. First, the lives each of you led together may only be characterised as comprehensively wretched. Your conduct was corrosive for both of you.

"It was and has been described by family members as a toxic relationship. I accept that you and your husband loved each other, but you both abused the medication of each other. Second, the particularly unusual feature of this case is that regardless of what you did to the victim, he would have died in any event within a few minutes of you inflicting the physical injuries upon him.

"It appears he had taken an overdose of an epilepsy drug. It was a fatal overdose."

The court heard Caster had no relevant previous convictions and she did not intent to kill her husband, but to inflict grievous bodily harm. The judge said the quantity of drugs taken by Kevin "would have killed him in any event" even if Caster had "done nothing." He added: "He would have succumbed and died. That is an important factor in this case. It is an extremely unusual situation."

Judge Richardson said there were features in the case which made it serious including the couple's vulnerabilities due to their addiction and the fact Caster had assaulted her husband when he was "borderline comatose." The judge said: "The assault upon him was determined and sustained."

The court was told Caster had had an "abusive upbringing" and "over the years has been involved in abusive relationships and what can only be summarised as a wretched marriage." It was said she has suffered with a depressive disorder.

As he sentenced Caster, Judge Richardson said: "You are never free of a life sentence if you are released on licence."