Nigel Jackson was in court on Monday accused of bludgeoning his wife to death and burying her under a patio in their garden so he could set up home with his girlfriend.
Former taxi driver Nigel Jackson, 60, is accused of murdered his wife Brenda Davidson, 72, in a plot to move his Portuguese girlfriend, Vanessa Milheiro, into the family home.
Prosecutors claimed in Portimão Court that in April this year Jackson repeatedly bludgeoned his wife about the head, stabbed her and wrapped her body in plastic sheeting and buried her in a makeshift grave in the garden.
The prosecution claims that Jackson then sold Davidson’s jewellery, made use of her bank cards and altered the deeds of the property she owned to show him as the owner.
A post-mortem report indicated that the cause of Davidson’s death was severe injuries to the back of her head.
Jackson claimed he was innocent, telling the court, “It wasn't me. I wasn't there. When I arrived home from golf she was on the floor lying in a pool of blood.
“It wasn't the first time because she had been very sick for some time. She had ovarian and thyroid cancer.
“When I found her, I assumed she had committed suicide. She was talking about it all the time. She didn't want to continue living with cancer.
“We had discussed what we wanted to do if either of us died and we decided we wanted to be buried next to the animals in the garden. I honoured Brenda's wishes.”
Jackson claimed that he had wrapped Davidson in the plastic sheeting because she was cold, adding that he only sold jewellery that had belonged to him and had shared the bank cards with his wife.
As for the dealy in reporting Davidson’s death, Jackson said that he has left it for “40 days and 40 nights” before alerting the police because as a Quaker he believed her spirit would remain in the grave for that time.
Jackson admitted to moving Vanessa Milheiro into the house while Davidson's body lay under concrete in the garden, covered with artificial grass, but claimed that the affair was not a secret and that after Davidson has been diagnosed with cancer, she had acknowledged that he had 'needs' to fulfil and had given the OK on the understanding that he did not 'bring it home.’
The couple had moved to Alcalar, Portimão more than 10 years ago from Gravesend in Kent.
The 14-page prosecution document alleges Jackson murdered his wife, a former cleaner, between November 22 and 24, 2014 before telling friends she was in England for medical treatment and telling her family she was in Germany with a new partner.
Jackson was arrested in January 2015 after Ms Davidson's son Dean became concerned about her whereabouts and that Jackson's claim that his mother committed suicide was “just another of his made-up stories. He's never told the truth all the time I've known him. I would class him as a habitual liar. He's a desperate man in a desperate situation.”
Davidson had twin daughters of 46, and two sons aged 48, and 47.
Jackson had told neighbours that Davidson had returned to the UK for treatment for a nasty cough but when she failed to return home, Jackson alerted the authorities and said he was “dedicated himself to trying to find her.”
Dean Davidson eventually contacted British Embassy officials who tipped off local police. Davidson's body was found in the garden of the couple's property on January 6, 2015 and Jackson was arrested and questioned for several hours. Brenda Davidson had been dead over six weeks before her body was discovered.
Carlos Pimenta in charge of the police investigation, said in court that it was “totally impossible” that the wounds on Mrs Davidson's body could have been the result of suicide and that traces of blood on the walls and furniture indicated a struggle.
Jackson is charged with murder, desecrating a corpse, theft, two counts of misusing credit cards and computer fraud.
He has pleaded not guilty on all charges. The trial continues on December 15th.
Brenda Davidson
