Jealous husband stabs wife of 20 years to death after he discovers she's having an affair

For Stuart Gallear, 51, and his late wife, Mandy Gallear, 42, their story is not the happily ever after every couple hopes for when they get married. The couple's marriage of 20 years ended on October 6 last year when Stuart stabbed Mandy repeatedly with a kitchen knife at their home in Hindley, near Wigan in England.


Stuart had just found out his wife was having an affair with his mate a day before and he lost it during an argument with her and stabbed her then he quickly called for an ambulance but by the time it came, Mandy was found unresponsive on the kitchen floor. Stuart is being tried in Manchester Crown Court.

The problem between the Gallears began in 2009 when the couple migrated to Canada with their two daughters but the move was not a success and three months later they were back in the UK. Stuart became depressed after they returned and began drinking excessively thereby neglecting his wife and daughters. 

In 2014, Stuart made a pass at his wife's sister and attempted to kiss her and this increased the strain in their marriage. Mandy became dissatisfied with how her husband treated her and in 2015, she began having an affair with Mark Prescott.

Speaking at the trial, Alaric Bassano, prosecuting, said Mandy informed Stuart of her relationship but did not tell him who she was involved with because her husband knows Prescott. 

"Mandy Gallear fell in love with Mark Prescott and in early 2016 confided in a work colleague that she wanted to leave the defendant but felt unable to do so because of her children. She thus continued to live under the same roof as the defendant, but maintained her relationship with Mark Prescott until the time of her death," Bassano said.

Things fell apart on the 5th of October last year when Mr. Prescott's partner found out about the affair. Prescott's stepson went to the Gallear family home in Makinson Avenue and informed Stuart of the affair and that was the first time he became aware of the identity of the person his wife was romantically involved with. He confronted his wife and she confirmed she was in love with Prescott and wanted a separation.  

Stuart later sent text messages to Prescott, one of which said "big mistake" and the other "just found out you f***** my wife". He later threatened him on the phone, saying, "I am not coming for you now but I will find you and I will kill you."

Mandy went to work the next day as usual and informed her colleagues at the Chorley-based property developers Heaton Estates where she worked as the head of accounts, that she was getting divorced and was planning to view a house for rent with Mr. Prescott that day. Meanwhile, back at home, Stuart was sent to be distressed and it manifested in the way he related with a lot of people. He phoned Prescott and threatened to kill him before he texted him: 

"I made a stupid pass at her sister and regret it ever since and was trying to rebuild until you got involved".

Stuart went on to tell his next-door neighbor that his wife had "ruined my life". Later that day, he visited the Hindley Arms pub at lunch where he told a customer "I've just found out my wife has been having an affair with my mate."

The father-of-two then walked home at 3:30 p.m. and according to him, he spoke with his wife "amicably" in their kitchen and his wife then said to him: "Anyway, it's sorted now. We are separating. I love him more than you" and at this, his memory of what happened next was "blurred".

He recalled lunging at Mandy, grabbing her by the throat, grabbing the knife from the drawer, pushing her back towards the sink and stabbing her two or three times with the knife. Stuart revealed that his wife then protested, saying, "what are you doing? I still love you" then he "just snapped out of it", put the knife aside and rang emergency services at 3.49pm.

In the 999 call played to the jury Stuart can be heard telling the operator: 

"I have just stabbed my wife. We have had a break-up and I have just lost it... I just lost it." He proceeded to perform chest compressions on his wife and attempted to stem the bleeding as he twice told the operator to get to the scene as quick as possible.

When police arrived 10 minutes later, they found Mandy with three deep wounds to her chest. The former warehouse manager willingly gave himself up to be arrested while saying "I've made a mistake. I accept the consequences." Stuart has pleaded guilty to her manslaughter but denies murder. 

Prescott, on his part, was thrown out of his home by his wife when she found out about the affair but they have now reunited following the death of Mandy. He revealed that he and Mandy were set to view a bungalow together on the day of her killing.

The trial continues.