A HUSBAND who hit his wife on the side of her head with a hammer and then choked her to death has been sentenced to life in prison.

Christopher Kerrell, 35 from Whitton, near Knighton, had previously pleaded guilty to murdering his estranged wife Hollie when he appeared at Merthyr Crown Court on Monday, October 22.

Today judge Mr Justice Stephen Morris, at the same court, handed Kerrell a life sentence with a minumum jail term of 25 years before he can apply for parole.The court heard details of how the quarry worker struck his wife with the hammer when he visited the mum-of-three at the home they had shared in Glyndwr, Knucklas, before strangling her for about 10 minutes on Sunday, April 22 this year.

At the time of the killing the couple’s three children, aged 3 to 6, were in the house.

The court then heard Kerrell wrapped his wife’s body in old clothes as well as bed clothes and covered it in plastic sheeting. He put her body in the boot of his car and drove with the children to his mother’s farm at Letton Court in Whitton where he buried Hollie in a shallow grave in nearby woodland.

Police had searched the woodland several days later, after Kerrell was spotted in the area, and found Hollie’s body.

Prosecutor Paul Lewis QC said: "In a nutshell one morning on Sunday, April 22 this year the defendant Christopher Kerrell brutally murdered his estranged wife Hollie Kerrell in the kitchen of her home in Knighton, Powys. He did so while their three young children were nearby in their mother's care."He killed Hollie in the course of a savage attack. He put a hammer he brought to the house to her head and strangled her until he was sure she was dead. He then drank a cup of tea and set about clearing up Hollie's blood in a determined effort to cover up what he had done. He wrapped Hollie's body in plastic and bed sheets and buried her in a shallow grave on a remote farm."Thinking quickly he set about a false trail contacting friends and family saying he was concerned for Hollie and pretending he was trying to find her."He said to those who might be looking for her she had left him and taken clothes with her. He carried on with his life as normal and visited local shops and supermarkets and taking his older children on the school run."Mr Lewis said Hollie's sister had reported her missing to the police on the Monday but Kerrell pretended he had nothing to do with her disappearance.Kerrell was caught out after returning to the spot where he had buried her the following day. A woman, who knew Kerrell, who had been walking her dog on a farm track spotted him climbing over a fence and asked him what he had been doing. He old her he had buried his dog."That chance meeting proved to be his undoing," Mr Lewis said as police were later able to locate their search at the farm on area where the ground had been recently disturbed.Mr Lewis told the court: "His actions can only be explained by his possessiveness and jealousy."Gordon Cole QC, for Kerrell said: "The defendant knows he faces a life sentence and whatever the future holds for him he will remain in custody for many, many years before he can even begin to apply for parole."

Kerrell had intially pleaded not guilty to murder but changed his plea to guilty on the day his trial was due to begin in October.After the sentencing, Christine Jones of the CPS said: “Through his brutal actions Christopher Kerrell robbed a young woman of her life and three children of their mother.

“Kerrell took considerable steps to cover up what he had done by pretending Hollie was missing whilst he concealed the body and disposed of her clothes and mobile telephone.

“Following a thorough investigation by Dyfed Powys police, the CPS built a strong case which ultimately resulted in a guilty plea to murder.

“Our thoughts remain with Hollie’s family and friends as they move on from the conclusion of the Court case.”