A FORMER Royal Marine who strangled his wife during a suspected row over his affair with their son's partner has been convicted of her murder.

Stephen Searle, 64, claimed he accidentally killed his Glasgow-born wife Anne, 62, when he grabbed her by the throat while trying to disarm her as she tried to stab him.

But the prosecution alleged that he had put her in a choke hold, standing behind her with the crook of his arm around her neck to suffocate her.

The six day trial heard how he had been taught the killing method as part of his training in unarmed combat during his nine years in the Royal Marines,

Searle insisted she died after he lost control of himself while acting in self defence and that he did not mean to kill her or cause her serious harm.

But a jury of six men and six women found him guilty of murder after deliberating for three hours and 33 minutes at Ipswich Crown Court.

Mr Justice Green adjourned sentencing until tomorrow and warned Searle he faced a life sentence.

The judge said that the starting point would be jailing him for a minimum term of 15 years. He added: "The question is to how I raise it or lower it."

The father-of-three who had been working as a bowling alley manager showed no reaction as the verdict was announced.

Searle met his wife as a teenager when he was serving with the Royal Marines in Arbroath.

He had a four month fling with his son Gary's long term partner Anastasia Pomiateeva, 39, after he repeatedly pestered her for sex and she finally relented.