DEVON MAN JAILED FOR KILLING WIFE IN TRAGIC SHOOTING
David Leeman, a 60-year-old resident of Higher Cowley Farm in Parracombe, was found guilty of murdering his estranged wife Jennie by firing five shots at close range in September 2011.The court proceedings revealed that Leeman initially denied involvement in her death but later confessed to manslaughter, citing loss of control as his reason.
During the trial at Exeter Crown Court, Mr Justice Butterfield described Jennie's death as a devastating tragedy and emphasized that a life was needlessly lost.
The defendant had been influenced by emotional distress related to his wife's affair with Norman Laramy, whom he mistakenly suspected of being a paedophile; however, police investigations found no evidence supporting this accusation.
Leeman kept a semi-automatic pistol illegally on their farm, which he used to carry out the killing.
Regarding sentencing, it was noted that Leeman had already served 296 days and was set to serve half of his new sentence in prison before being eligible for release on license.
The judge highlighted that Leeman's actions prior to the shooting showed no signs of loss of control, but in the moment he fired his gun, his rage caused him to lose composure after his wife laughed at him.
He then shot her five times at close range, with all bullets hitting her in a single, tragic incident.
