THE WEALTHY PRESIDENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL SUPERMAR
THE WEALTHY PRESIDENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL SUPERMARKET CHAIN
FLEW HALF WAY ACROSS THE WORLD TO MURDER HIS WIFE’S LOVER, AN OLD
BAILEY JURY HEARD ON MONDAY.
JOSEPH ROBB, 41, STABBED TO DEATH PUBLIC RELATIONS EXECUTIVE
MICHAEL HORTON, 41, IN A JEALOUS FRENZY AT TOP LONDON HOTEL AFTER
FLYING IN FROM HIS HOME IN TORONTO, CANADA, SAID MR.
ANTHONY GLASS QC
PROSECUTING.
THE COURT HEARD THAT ROBB WAS DESPERATE THAT HIS 22 YEAR OLD
MARRIAGE TO HIS WIFE SHIELA, 41, SHOULD SURVIVE.
BUT WHEN HORTON TOLD HIM THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO ABOUT
THE STRONG FEELINGS THAT EXISTED BETWEEN HIM AND SHEILA, ROBB
SNAPPED.
ROBB ALLEGEDLY TOLD DETECTIVES: ‘HORTON PERSONIFIED
EVERYTHING THAT HAD HAPPENED, THE DECEIT, THE ALIENATION, THE FACT
THAT MY WIFE HAD GIVEN ME THE COLD SHOULDER FOR LAST EIGHT WEEKS.
‘THIS MAN HAD BEEN INTIMATE WITH MY WIFE.
I SAW HIM IN FRONT
OF ME.
HE REPRESENTED ALL THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO KEEP ON HITTING
HIM.
‘
ROBB, THE PRESIDENT OF NORTHERN FINE FOODS INC OF CANADA
ADMITS THE MANSLAUGHTER OF HORTON THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EUROPEAN
DIVISION OF NEW YORK BASED COMPANY BURSON MARSTELLER ON MAY 24 LAST.
ROBB, BALDING BESPETACLED AND WEARING A DARK BLUE BUSINESS
SUIT SHOWED NO EMOTION AS HE SAID FIRMLY ‘NOT GUILTY TO MURDER.
‘
MR.
GLASS SAID THAT A NOTE FOUND IN ROBB’S BRIEFCASE READ
‘OBJECTIVE – BACK OFF’ UNDERNEATH WAS WRITTEN: ‘STRATEGY – SUSPRISE
CONFRONTATION’ WITH A LINE PUT THROUGH THOSE WORDS.
UNDER THAT WAS
WRITTEN: ‘COMMUNICATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF MY INTENTION AND MY
RESOLVE.
‘
THE COURT HEARD THAT THE AFFAIR BEGAN WHILE ROBB’S WIFE WAS
WORKING FOR HORTON FROM 1981 TO 1985.
EVEN AFTER HORTON WAS POSTED TO
LONDON THE RELATIONSHIP CONTINUED.
BOTH STILL MET AND EXCHANGED LOVE
LETTERS.
IN MARCH 1987 SHIELA TOLD HER HUSBAND THAT THEIR MARRIAGE WAS
OVER.
THE COUPLE HAD A SON CALLED FINTON, 19 AND A 15 YEAR OLD
DAUGHTER SHONA.
THE JURY WERE TOLD THAT ROBB COULD NOT ACCEPT THIS AND SPENT
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS TRYING TO PERSUADE HIS WIFE THAT THEY COULD SAVE THE
MARRIAGE.
BUT THEN ROBB FOUND LOVE LETTERS IN HIS WIFE’S BRIEFCASE AND
REALISED FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT ANOTHER MAN WAS INVOLVED.
HE DECIDED
TO CONFRONT HORTON AND TRY AND PERSUADE HIM TO STOP SEEING HIS WIFE,
SAID COUNSEL.
ROBB BOOKED INTO THE FIVE STAR CHURCHILL HOTEL IN MARYLEBONE
NEXT DOOR TO THE ONE THAT HORTON WAS STAYING AT.
THE TWO MEN AGREED
TO MEET AT ROBB’S HOTEL.
ROBB TOLD POLICE THAT AT FIRST THE MEETING WAS AMAIBLE AND
THEY DECIDED TO GO TO ROBB’S ROOM.
ROBB ALLEGEDLY ADDED: ‘I STARTED TO FEEL CHOKED UP.
I SAID MY
OBJECTIVE WAS SO SAVE THE MARRIAGE.
IT BECAME HARDER TO GET THE WORDS
OUT.
I SAID HE COULD HELP BY BACKING OFF.
HE SAID THAT HIS FEELING
FOR SHEILA AND HERS FOR HIM WERE A REALITY AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE
ABOUT IT.
‘
ROBB SAID THAT HE FLEW INTO A ‘BLIND RAGE’ AND GRABBED HORTON
BY THE LAPELS SHOUTING: ‘THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
‘
HORTON PICKED UP HIS BRIEFASE TO LEAVE AND ROBB SMASHED A
BOTTLE OF PERRIER OVER HIS HEAD AND THEN A BOTTLE OF GIN.
:
‘SOMEHOW THE KNIFE CAME INTO MY HAND.
I STARTED STABBING HIM.
HE WAS SHOUTING ”STOP” I WAS SHOUTING: ”THIS IS NOT GOING TO
HAPPEN”, ROBB SAID IN HIS STATEMENT TO DETECTIVES.
.
ROBB REPEATEDLY STABBED HORTON OF DEVONSHIRE CLOSE, MARBLE
ARCH, LONDON IN THE NECK AND HEAD.
HE DIED THAT NIGHT IN HOSPITAL
FROM TWO WOUNDS TO HIS JUGULAR VEIN.
AFTER THE ATTACK ROBB CALLED FOR AN AMBULANCE AND SOBBED:
‘I’VE KILLED HIM.
‘
HORTON WAS FOUND DOUBLED UP IN THE CORNER OF ROOM 838 COVERED
IN BLOOD NEXT TO THE BLOOD SPLATTERED TELEEPHONE THAT WAS OFF THE
HOOK, SAID COUNSEL.
WHEN QUESTIONED ROBB DENIED THAT HE HAD COME TO LONDON TO KILL
HORTON IF HE DID NOT AGREE TO STOP SEEING HIS WIFE.
HE ALLEGEDLY TOLD DETECTIVES: ‘MY OBJECTIVE WAS TO GET THE
RELATIONSHIP BACK TOGETHER.
I LIKED HIM.
I DID NOT WANT TO HARM HIM.
‘
ROBB SAID THAT HE FOUND THE MURDER WEAPON, A PENKNIFE IN HIS
BRIEFCASE.
HE SAID HE ALWAYS CARRIED IT TO SHARPEN HIS PENCILS ON
BUSINESS TRIPS.
HE HAD USED IT THAT DAY FOR THAT PURPOSE
IN A STATEMENT READ TO THE COURT ROBB’S WIFE SAID THAT THAT SHE
MET HER HUSBAND WHILE AT COLLEGE IN DUBLIN IN 1965.
THEY MARRIED
THE SAME YEAR AND EMIGRATED TO CANADA 10 YEARS LATER.
SHE REVEALED THAT HORTON HAD TELEPHONED HER TO ASK IF HER
HUSBAND WAS VIOLENT.
MRS ROBB REPLIED: ‘HE NEVER LOSES HIS TEMPER.
HE
IS A VERY EVEN TEMPERED MAN.
HE HAS ALWAYS REMAINED CALM DURING EVERY
SITUATION.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN HIM SHOW ANGER DURING OUR 22 YEAR
MARRIAGE.
‘
ENDS
CENTRAL NEWS, PRESS ROOM, CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT, OLD BAILEY, LONDON
EC4.
TEL 01 236 0116/5777
OLD BAILEY/JW
JAN 4, 1988
ADD ROBB.
