A SHOPKEEPER accused of murdering his postmistress wife challenged a paramedic sent to treat her who told him rigor mortis had set in, a court heard today.

Robin Garbutt, 45, denies bludgeoning his wife Diana's head three times as she slept in the living quarters above the Village Shop and Post Office in Melsonby, North Yorkshire, in March last year.

The prosecution at Teesside Crown Court claims Garbutt, who had £30,000 credit card debts, murdered his unfaithful wife in the early hours then pretended an armed robber killed her and fled with cash from the safe.

As Garbutt sat with his head in his hands in the dock, a transcript of his 999 call to the ambulance service was read to the jury.

When a paramedic arrived in the bedroom where Mrs Garbutt lay dead, her husband was heard to say: "She's warm."

The paramedic replied: "But if you look sir, that's what we call rigor mortis."

Garbutt replied: "It's not rigor mortis."

The paramedic said: "It is I am afraid. She's been down for a while."

The trial, in its third week, was adjourned until tomorrow.

Full story in tomorrow's The Northern Echo