Former hairdresser, 79, abused his wife, 84, for years before stabbing her to death while she was in bed after she said she didn't want to give him a cuddle

A man who violently abused his wife for decades stabbed her to death after she refused to cuddle with him, a court has heard. Michael Pyke, 79, was sentenced to life imprisonment after murdering his wife of 50 years, Beryl Pyke, at their home in Aldwick, West Sussex, in May of this year.Pyke, a former hairdresser, stabbed Beryl to death in a 'terrifying and sustained' attack which followed years of domestic abuse against her that began when he turned 60. On Friday, the father-of-two was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 15 years at Hove Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to her murder in October.Sentencing, Judge Jeremy Gold KC described Ms Pyke as 'defenceless' against her husband, who regularly subjected her to 'domestic abuse and violence' in the last decades of their marriage. He said: 'I have no doubt from the number of times you stabbed Beryl it was your intention to kill her and you did so showing no mercy.'The court heard the couple spent the evening at a friend's house together on Saturday, May 30, with the murder occurring between 10.30pm that evening and 2.00pm on Sunday, May 31.Pyke initially confessed to his cousin, Roger Taylor, that he killed his wife, telling him he went into her separate bedroom and asked for a cuddle, where she told him to 'f*** off out of my bedroom'. Former hairdresser Michael Pyke has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife, Beryl PykeMr Taylor then reported his cousin to the authorities. Officers from Sussex Police arrived at Pyke's home where they found him calm with a TV on downstairs, and Ms Pyke in bed in her nightgown covered in blood.Crime scene investigators found the property to be very clean and indications that Pyke had showered after the killing and cleaned up the scene.A polo shirt was in the laundry basket, however, black trousers with visible blood stains were found downstairs and a blood-stained knife was found in a bedroom, which appeared likely to be the murder weapon.A post-mortem examination found 11 stab wounds and defensive injuries which showed Ms Pyke anticipated a blow from the knife, measuring at 8cm in length.Pyke was then arrested, with police body-worn camera footage recording him saying: 'F*** this life, I want to die' and 'Dead forever, dead forever, thank f****** god for that'. Pyke pleaded guilty to his wife's murder on Monday, October 19 at Brighton Crown Court. Pippa McAtasney KC, prosecuting, told the court he already had 47 convictions for 80 offences between 2008 and 2022. Ms Pyke was stabbed to death in a 'terrifying and sustained' attack which followed years of domestic abuse against her at the hands of her husband These include 13 for violence against the person, five for assaults on emergency workers and 26 for harassment breaches of restraining orders to protect Ms Pyke from him.He had also served a number of stints in prison, the longest for 10 months in 2008 for stabbing a friend and neighbour who walked Ms Pyke home in July 2007, after she had gone to their house to avoid her husband's drinking.The man, who survived the attack, told police that violence and aggression towards Ms Pyke seemed 'to coincide with retiring and drinking more alcohol'.Ms McAtasney said Pyke's offending revealed an 'extensive history of domestic violence against his wife'.'A pattern emerges that often the defendant would drink, become aggressive and or violent towards Beryl,' she said.'She would call the police and he would be in breach of his restraining order. On many occasions Beryl did not support the allegations. She would feel sorry for him and didn't want him to be homeless.'Pyke's son, who attended court with his wife, did not make a victim statement. Instead, it was heard 'they cannot put into words the impact this had on the family.' Defending Pyke, Martin Rutherford KC said a 'really bizarre' feature is throughout his adult life, until turning 60, he was a 'happy family man with no previous convictions recorded against him'.'Matters turned post-60, largely chronicled in the criminal record. Woven within that, a tale of homelessness interspersed with destructive and self-destructive periods of time living with his wife,' Mr Rutherford said.Another relevant factor in the case, he added, was Pyke was a long-term 'teetotaller' who became attracted and 'perhaps addicted to alcohol'.'The reality is this afternoon Mr Pyke knows he is to receive a life sentence and he expects to die in prison,' Mr Rutherford said.Following the sentencing, Sussex Police Detective Sergeant Elliott Lander said Pyke 'cruelly' took Ms Pyke's life in the home they shared.He said: 'While in police custody, he made a number of comments which indicated his responsibility for what had happened, showing no remorse and a nonchalant attitude towards the devastating consequences of his actions.'Nothing can undo the devastation caused by Beryl's death, but now sentencing has taken place, we hope her family, friends and all those who knew and loved her can take some comfort in knowing the man responsible will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars.'