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David Barraclough, 46, murdered his wife Carolann by striking her with a hammer at their home in Horbury near Wakefield in February and hid her body in a freezer while claiming she was ill in the hospital to family and friends. He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years and one month after pleading guilty to murder. Barraclough spent about two weeks lying to Carolann’s loved ones and even used her phone to send messages pretending she would return home soon, according to prosecutors who highlighted his continued normalcy in daily activities post-murder.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
David Barraclough, 46, admitted to murdering his wife Carolann Barraclough, 37, in February. Carolann's body was found in a freezer at their home in Horbury, West Yorkshire, on March 6, about two weeks after her death. Initially, David told family and friends that Carolann was hospitalized, even sending texts from her phone claiming she would soon return home. He also prevented the children from entering the room where the freezer was kept. At Leeds Crown Court, Barraclough pleaded guilty to murder but refused to attend sentencing, which resulted in him being jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years and six months. The court heard that Carolann died between February 19 and 21 from blunt force trauma to the head.
Written for “Husband Murders Wife Hides Body” on 2026-10-09,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
A man who murdered his wife with a hammer and hid her body in a chest freezer while telling family and friends she was ill in hospital has been jailed for life.
asserted
she → publish → life
David Barraclough, 46, killed Carolann Barraclough, a mother of three, at the family's house in Horbury, near Wakefield, in February.
Leeds Crown Court heard he then spent about two weeks trying to conceal what he had done, telling relatives and friends she was in hospital and sending messages from her phone pretending to be her.
Barraclough pleaded guilty to murder on the first day of his trial and refused to attend court for sentencing.
asserted
Barraclough → kill → sentencing
He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years and one month.
asserted
He → jail → years
The court heard Carolann Barraclough was killed sometime between 19 and 21 February.
asserted
Barraclough → hear → ?
After her death, Barraclough tied up her body and placed it in a freezer in the utility room of the home they shared.
asserted
they → tie → home
Prosecutors said he repeatedly lied to her children, family, friends and neighbours, claiming she was in hospital recovering from an illness and that only he was able to visit her.
asserted
he → say → her
He also used her phone to send messages suggesting she would soon return home and prevented the children from entering the room where the freezer was kept.
asserted
freezer → use → room
On 5 March, Barraclough walked into Normanton Police Station and told a receptionist: "I've killed my wife."
asserted
I → walk → wife
Officers who went to the family home found Carolann Barraclough's body inside the freezer.
'Incredible bravery'
asserted
who → go → freezer
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said evidence showed Barraclough continued with his daily life after the killing, including visiting pubs, withdrawing large sums of cash from a joint bank account and downloading the dating app Tinder two days after his wife's death.
asserted
Barraclough → say → death
He later claimed he had acted in self-defence after being struck with a hammer and described himself as "heartbroken", "in a haze" and "confused".
asserted
he → claim → haze
However, prosecutors said CCTV footage showed no visible injuries and rejected his account.
asserted
footage → say → account
Jill May, senior crown prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said: "After brutally murdering Carolann, Barraclough hid her body in the home she shared with her children and lied repeatedly to her friends and family as he spun a calculated web of lies, pretending she was alive and recovering from illness in hospital."
uncertain
she → say → hospital
She praised Carolann Barraclough's eldest daughter for her "incredible bravery" in providing evidence.
asserted
She → praise → evidence
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