Nigel Jackson has admitted burying his wife under a path at their Algarve villa and to moving his girlfriend in just weeks later.
Jackson, 59, was arrested on suspicion of killing Brenda Davidson after her badly decomposed body was recovered by police from a makeshift grave at the back of their Algarve property in Alcalar, Portimão.
In a letter sent by Jackson to the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror, he admits moving his girlfriend into the villa a month after his wife’s death but denies murdering his partner of 27 years, claiming she probably was killed in a burglary that went wrong.
Jackson wrote, “I know I broke the law by burying Bren but if I thought it was her choice I would do the same again today and pay the price for burying her but I am not prepared to pay the price for something I could not possibly do.”
The Briton was arrested on suspicion of killing 72-year-old Davidson in November 2014, wrapping her body in plastic sheeting and burying it under some concrete and rubble in the back garden.
In Jackson’s letter, entitled ‘Love, care, devotion and betrayal,’ Jackson denies Davidson’s murder and claims he came home after a round of golf and found her lying in a pool of blood on the floor of the villa.
He wrote, “There was a lot of blood, when I tried to pick her up she was cold so got clothes and blankets and tried to warm her up. It did not work. I think I knew she was gone but did not accept it. I held her for hours asking her to wake up.”
Jackson claims that he found a cut on her neck and that he then found a knife.
Brenda had been diagnosed with cancer and Jackson wrote that he thought she had killed herself.
The couple previously had agreed that when they died they wanted to be buried with their animals in the garden of their villa, according to Jackson who is in jail pending formal charges.
The letter added, “I told everyone she had gone away, this was the only lie I told and I could not live with this lie so I went to the consulate and asked them to get the police.”
This differs from reports that Interpol had been advised by one of Davidson’s sons that her mother was not contactable and that he was suspicious. Davidson had twin daughters of 46, and two sons aged 48, and 47.
Jackson told her family that their mother was in hospital in Portugal and told neighbours that she was in the UK for medical treatment.
Media reported at the time of Jackson's arrest that Interpol had asked local Algarve police to investigate and Jackson was interviewed, later accompanying police to his villa where he showed them where Davidson’s body was buried.
In prison, Jackson says he was informed that the medical evidence showed that Davidson had been murdered and he now claims that she must have been attacked by burglars, the same ones who later stole items from the villa days after her funeral.
As for the girlfriend, Jackson claims that after Davidson’s diagnosis of ovarian cancer, she told him that she understood that he still had ‘needs’ and did not mind him having other women as long as he did not “bring it home”.
Jackson embarked on a three and half year relationship with a local woman and claimed that this was not a secret as they met openly at a nearby cafe.
Jackson and Davidson moved to the Algarve 13 years ago from Rochester, Kent.
