from our crime beat correspondent - Mangalore (GA)

Mangalore, Jan 9: Christine D'Souza (51), wife of Lawrence D'Souza, a resident of Barebail near here was strangled to death by her husband Lawrence on Sunday January 8 evening.  Lawrence was a habitual alcoholic and used to regularly beat up his wife.

On Sunday too he came home drunk and picked up a brawl with his wife and pushed her down.  As a result she sustained injury on her forehead.  Frightened by this, she shouted for help.  But Lawrence strangled her so that she could not be heard by anyone.  By the time he released his grip, she had breathed her last.  So he dumped her on the bed with her face down and went to the market.

The incident came to light only at 7 in the evening when her son came home and saw his mother dead.  He immediately passed the news to her relatives and also to the Kadri police.  The police then arrested Lawrence when he returned home in the night.

Lawrence is a mechanic by profession.  The couple has 4 children and all are married.  Their son Ronald was living with them.  The family was residing at Babugudda near Attavar.  But some 20 days ago they had shifted to a rented house at Barebail.  One Jayanti Reena of Barebail owns this particular house, “Alleluia Villa” in which Lawrence and his family lived.

The Kadri police have produced accused Lawrence before court.