Sheffield Crown Court: Jealous woman admits murdering husband beaten to death in attack captured on CCTV

Sheffield Crown Court had heard during a trial how Pauline Caster, aged 44, had initially pleaded not guilty to murdering her 43-year-old husband Kevin Caster after he was found seriously injured by emergency services at their home on High Hazel Crescent, Catcliffe, Rotherham, on October 19, 2021, and was later pronounced dead.

However, the accused changed her plea to guilty to murder on Wednesday, April 19 – on the second day of the trial – and she will be sentenced on Thursday, April 20, to life imprisonment with a decision yet to be decided upon the minimum term she must serve before her release.

Judge Jeremy Richardson KC told Caster: “The starting point is one of a minimum term of 15 years but there are aggravating and mitigating features that have to be taken into account not least the fact you have pleaded guilty.”

Prosecuting barrister Imran Shafi KC previously told the court CCTV footage of the couple’s home had captured the accused stamping, punching and striking downwards with her arms flailing in the property.

He added that a post-mortem examination concluded either the assault injuries or the mixed drug toxicity could have proved fatal and that the death was caused by a combination of the injuries and the drugs - in particular the ingestion of the defendant’s prescribed epilepsy drug Lamotrigine.

A forensic toxicologist reported that Lamotrigine, cocaine, and other drug traces were detected in Kevin Caster’s blood following his death, according to the court, and the Lamotrigine was detected at a value well in excess of the ranges reported in other Lamotrigine-related fatalities.

Mr Shafi said the prosecution was unable to say whether or not the deceased voluntarily ingested Lamotrigine but what he could say was that between 19.54 and 20.03 that a figure believed to be the defendant was captured on CCTV stamping, punching and striking downwards towards the floor with their arms flailing.

He also claimed that the defendant appeared to stop stamping and walk down the garden before returning to the front door and continuing to strike out towards the floor.

Mr Shafi claimed: “The defendant is seen to stamp on and kick Kevin Caster, who is prone on the floor, on seven separate occasions between 19.54 and 20.17. Kevin Caster appears to react with bodily movement on each of those occasions. He is last seen to show any movement at 20.17.”

The relationship of the couple, who were parents to three children, was described by Mr Shafi as volatile with arguments and low-level violence and that they had abused drugs and alcohol and police had attended their home after disturbances.

Mr Shafi said that witnesses had heard arguing on the day in question and the defendant claiming her husband had beaten her and another had stated she had heard Pauline Caster say, ‘Are you hurting you b*****d?’ and that the defendant had been moving aggressively.

He added that Pauline Caster had also claimed to a paramedic that former soldier Mr Caster had been involved in an altercation while he had been out and when he returned he had taken tablets.

But Mr Shafi said the defendant had expressed sexual jealousy and anger and resentment towards Kevin Caster before the assault and phone evidence included an audio recording of the couple talking about a threesome and the defendant, now of Harmony Way, Catcliffe, becoming upset about another woman.

Judge Richardson told Pauline Caster that she had been ‘very sensible’ to plead guilty given the evidence and he stressed whatever the rights and wrongs her plea was an act of courage and he would treat her fairly.

He told the jury: “It’s unusual but it happens in cases of murder that individuals plead guilty and it’s true to say there is an element of courage in doing so because there is an inevitable life sentence because the law requires that. But there is also – as I have explained to the defendant – how long the minimum term will be.”

Judge Richardson adjourned the case for a sentencing hearing on Thursday, April 20.