Great Waldingfield man convicted of murdering wife, daughter

A 47-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering his wife and daughter at their home in Great Waldingfield last autumn.

Peter Nash strangled Jillu, 43, to death over her "infidelity" and fatally stabbed Louise, 12, before trying to kill himself.

Emergency Service discovered the crime on September 8, 2022, after a man who was in a relationship with Jillu could not establish contact with her.

Firefighters entered the house and found Jillu and Louise dead and Nash lying on a bed holding a knife.

Nash, who sustained several self-inflicted stab wounds, pleaded not guilty to the charges of murder, claiming he ‘lawfully killed’ his wife and daughter. Justifying his actions based on his interpretation of common law, property, and marriage vows, he claimed what happened to them was "logical".

He told the court that he had confronted Jillu when he found another man’s photograph with her and strangled her for 5–10 minutes until she died. The offender then stuffed a t-shirt into her mouth. An hour later, he killed his daughter, believing she was his ‘property’ and he did it to protect her because he did not trust anyone else to look after her. Louise had complex care needs as she was non-verbal and diagnosed as autistic.

Ipswich Crown Court on Friday (12) found him guilty of two counts of murder, following a four-week trial.

The jury took a little more than two hours to deliver their unanimous guilty verdict.

Nash has been remanded in custody and his sentencing hearing will take place on Wednesday (17).