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Murder Trial: Victim was having affair with accused's wife

Sat, 21 Mar 2015

A gardener from Ballabeg who died in 2013 was having an affair with the wife of the man accused of murdering him.

That's what the jury at Douglas Courthouse was told this week during the trial of 46-year-old Castletown man Ian Anderson.

His wife was having a relationship with 60-year-old gardener Neil Roberts before his death in December - leaving Anderson, and their home, to be with him on a number of occasions.

The Anderson's son, Robert, told jurors he met Mr Roberts frequently during visits to the Island however he said his behaviour made him feel "uncomfortable".

The 26-year-old explained how he wanted "family time" but wherever they went Mr Robert's would turn up - adding "it started off friendly but it got a bit weird".

He said his father's relationship with him had cooled by the summer of 2013 but he wanted to keep him "close" because he owed him money from work he'd done earlier in the year.

In November Mrs Anderson and Mr Roberts viewed a property together with a local estate agent with a view to renting somewhere they could live together as a couple.

Just before midnight on November 30th Anderson used FaceTime to contact his son where he told him his mother was leaving him because she was in love with Mr Roberts.

In a subsequent call minutes later Robert Anderson heard a fight break out in the Anderson's house on Queen Street - Mr Robert's body was found in the early hours of December 1st.

Ian Anderson denies murder - the trial continues.

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