The killer: Darker side to a house proud man with high standards

"DOMINEERING and selfish" and "a Victorian husband". Those were just some of the phrases used to describe murderer Alan Stead during his trial.

Prosecutors portrayed Stead as a man who expected total obedience within his household, a man who demanded to see his wife Anita's till receipts, and a man who rarely allowed her to spend money on herself.

So when he discovered Anita wanted a divorce, he turned to murder.

At the time of the fire, Stead was making a decent living as a lorry driver for Mr Kipling, often making lucrative trips to Scotland.

He was quite house proud, always ensuring the garden and exterior were presentable, and expecting his wife to keep the inside of the house clean and tidy.

And considering how he converted the garage of their Waterhayes home into a playroom and office, he was clearly a capable man when it came to DIY.

But during the trial, witnesses told of a darker side.

They spoke of how Stead would shout at and berate his wife in public; how he banned his wife's mother from visiting their home; and how the long-suffering Anita would often be seen wearing the same clothes, week-in, week-out, rarely being allowed to buy anything new.

But Stead went one step too far when Anita told her husband she wanted a divorce.

Stead's fear of losing his wife, home and the custody of their four children was enough to turn him to murder.

He came up with a plan that made it appear Anita had died in a tragic accident.

A plan that worked for more than six years.

But now justice has caught up with Stead and he has at least 25 years in a prison cell to think about his actions.