Police Start Digging For Body Of Murdered Wife Kate Prout After Husband Points To Grave

Police Start Digging For Body Of Wealthy Farmer's Wife

Police have started digging for the body of a woman murdered by her wealthy husband.

Officers are searching for the remains of Kate Prout on the farm in Redmarley, Gloucestershire, where she lived with her millionaire husband Adrian. He was jailed for life last year at Bristol Crown Court after being found guilty of her murder.

Prout, 49, had denied killing her, maintaining she had disappeared in November 2007 but, in a dramatic twist last week, he confessed to killing his wife, a former teacher, and burying her body in woodland on their £1.2 million farm after failing a lie detector test.

On Friday Prout was taken from prison to 276-acre Redhill Farm in handcuffs to show police the spot where he said he dumped her and Gloucestershire Police have started work to find the body.

Prout's admission from behind bars comes four years after he murdered Mrs Prout, 55, and exactly 12 months since her family last pleaded with him to reveal the truth. He had always denied any part in her disappearance as he refused to help officers in their search for the retired teacher.

Police - who said the priority was to bring peace for her family - warned it may still take some time before her remains are found.

Prout is said to have told his fiancee Debbie Garlick that he strangled his wife after a row and buried her body on his farm. Ms Garlick is believed to have subsequently spoken to Gloucestershire Police about his confession.

The millionaire, who has fathered a child with Ms Garlick after his wife's disappearance, was thought to have strangled her and then used his expertise as a professional pipe-layer to bury her body.

Jurors heard that Mrs Prout had confronted her husband with an increased divorce demand the day before she went missing. He had offered her a settlement of £600,000 but, after discussion with accountants, she decided to demand £800,000.

The last time anyone heard from her was at 3.29pm on November 5, when she called her bank, First Direct. Since then no organisations have had any contact with her, including banks and passport agencies.

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