Jury convicts man of murdering his pregnant wife 20 years ago

A SAILOR has been found guilty by a jury of murdering his pregnant wife 20 years ago and dumping her body.

Andrew Griggs (57) was convicted at Canterbury Crown Court this afternoon of killing Debbie Griggs in 1999 when the couple lived at Deal, Kent.

Griggs, who now has a home at St Leonard’s near Ringwood, will be sentenced at the same court on Wednesday.

Debbie was pregnant with the couple’s fourth child when she went missing in May 1999 aged 34. Her car, a white Peugeot 309, was found abandoned not far from her home days after her disappearance.

Forensics found DNA from blood in the vehicle matched hers. There have been no traces of her since and her body has never been found.

Earlier this year Griggs was charged with killing her and disposing of her corpse – which he denied.

During the trial prosecutors said in early 1999 the couple’s relationship had become strained over allegations he was involved with a 15-year-old girl.

They had split but reconciled and it was claimed he feared that if they did divorce he would lose the freezer business they ran together and she would get their house.

Days before she vanished, prosecutors revealed Griggs set their joint business bank account up just in his name and he had told a friend he “wished she was dead”.

In a diary she had described him as “bombastic and bullying” and said Griggs kneed her in the stomach while she was pregnant.

Giving evidence to the court, Griggs said the couple had been working to resolve their problems, his ex-wife suffered with post-natal depression, and had disappeared before.

His defence was he had been lying on the sofa one night and fell asleep only to be woken up by her shouting at him before she walked out, never to return.