David Barraclough sentenced for murdering wife and hiding body

David Barraclough has been sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison for the murder of his 37-year-old wife, Carolann Barraclough. The sentencing took place at Leeds Crown Court.

According to court records, Barraclough killed his wife with a hammer in March. Following the murder, he wrapped her body in tape and a duvet before hiding it in a freezer in a utility room of their home. Approximately 15 days after the crime, Barraclough entered a police station, initially stating he wished to commit suicide before confessing, ‘I killed my wife.’

In the aftermath of the killing, Barraclough engaged in a deceptive campaign to hide the crime. He sent messages from his wife’s phone to their daughter, pretending Carolann was alive and recovering from an illness in the hospital. The judge described his claims of being a victim of abuse as ‘cynical,’ noting that he had woven a web of lies to explain her disappearance.