A London judge has handed down a life sentence to Robert Rhodes, 52, a carpenter who orchestrated a "wicked" plot to murder his wife Dawn and manipulate their child. The case had been marked by twists and turns, with Rhodes previously cleared of the crime due to self-defence grounds in 2017. However, after new evidence came to light – including shocking testimony from their own child – he was retried and found guilty of murder.
Rhodes' motives were rooted in a bitter affair with a work colleague that his wife had been having behind his back. The jealous husband lured his child into an accomplice role before brutally killing Dawn in 2016, claiming it was self-defence to cover up the true extent of his actions. He then attempted to deceive not only the court but also his own child by spinning a web of false narratives and "gaslighting" them into supporting his fabricated story.
As part of this twisted plan, Rhodes had stabbed himself in an effort to bolster his self-defence claim, while slashing his child's arm as well. His child subsequently revealed the truth about what really happened during therapy sessions with a therapist and subsequent reports to the police. The victim's family has spoken out against the defendant, calling him a "coward" for refusing to attend his sentencing hearing.
During the sentencing, Judge Ellenbogen condemned Rhodes' actions, branding them as "malignant" and describing him as having a history of "wicked and callous behaviour". Her words echoed with empathy towards Dawn's family, whose lives have been forever altered by her tragic demise. The child who was instrumental in bringing down the defendant now faces lifelong struggles with mental health due to their own father's brutal actions.
Dawn's mother has spoken out about finally finding closure after nearly a decade of waiting for justice, describing it as an "impact statement" that validates her daughter's voice and brings some measure of peace. As the full weight of Rhodes' crimes becomes clear, his refusal to accept responsibility only adds to the sense of malevolence surrounding him.
Rhodes' motives were rooted in a bitter affair with a work colleague that his wife had been having behind his back. The jealous husband lured his child into an accomplice role before brutally killing Dawn in 2016, claiming it was self-defence to cover up the true extent of his actions. He then attempted to deceive not only the court but also his own child by spinning a web of false narratives and "gaslighting" them into supporting his fabricated story.
As part of this twisted plan, Rhodes had stabbed himself in an effort to bolster his self-defence claim, while slashing his child's arm as well. His child subsequently revealed the truth about what really happened during therapy sessions with a therapist and subsequent reports to the police. The victim's family has spoken out against the defendant, calling him a "coward" for refusing to attend his sentencing hearing.
During the sentencing, Judge Ellenbogen condemned Rhodes' actions, branding them as "malignant" and describing him as having a history of "wicked and callous behaviour". Her words echoed with empathy towards Dawn's family, whose lives have been forever altered by her tragic demise. The child who was instrumental in bringing down the defendant now faces lifelong struggles with mental health due to their own father's brutal actions.
Dawn's mother has spoken out about finally finding closure after nearly a decade of waiting for justice, describing it as an "impact statement" that validates her daughter's voice and brings some measure of peace. As the full weight of Rhodes' crimes becomes clear, his refusal to accept responsibility only adds to the sense of malevolence surrounding him.
The kid's gotta deal with their own trauma now though, that's just messed up. Gaslighting is real, folks. I mean, who needs a therapist when you've got your spouse and family members telling you it wasn't even you, bro! 
And stabbing yourself in the arm? That's some next-level drama right there.
. The victim's family deserves so much better than this coward's actions. Closure is hard, but at least they can say they've got a decent sense of peace now 
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This whole thing is just mind-blowing. I mean, a dad who thought he could get away with killing his own wife and manipulating their kid? It's like something out of a horror movie 
. The fact that he used his child in the crime and then tried to gaslight them into supporting him is just disgusting. And stabbing himself and slashing his own arm? That's just cruel. 
The judge was spot on, labeling him "malignant" and "wicked". He doesn't deserve any leniency whatsoever. It's good that Dawn's family finally got some closure after all these years, but it's also heartbreaking to think about the trauma their kid has endured 
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This case is just so messed up. I mean, can you even imagine being in a situation where your own child is involved in their parent's crime? The way Robert Rhodes manipulated his kid into being an accomplice is truly chilling 
. And the fact that he tried to gaslight them afterwards... it's just sickening 
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. Like, come on, man! Take ownership of your mistakes and apologize to those you've hurt. It's not too much to ask 
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it's like he thought he could get away with murder and manipulate those closest to him. the fact that his child had to go through therapy and deal with the trauma of what really happened is just devastating 
OMG u guys I'm literally shaking rn... just read about this 52 yr old dude who got sentenced to life in prison for murdering his wife & manipulating their kid 
. It's no wonder the therapist sessions and police reports ultimately led to his downfall.
. I mean, it's literally just a cat sitting at a keyboard, but it sounds like Mozart or something! The internet is wild, you know? What's even crazier than that though is how some people are still into true crime podcasts... I don't get it, can't they think about anything else? Like, what if the person committing a crime was just really good at hiding their true feelings and just got caught by bad luck? It's like we're all just trying to make sense of a weird world.
. the fact that he stabbed himself and slashed his kid's arm to try and frame a self-defence story is just insane 
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Can't believe the depravity of a dad who thought he could gaslight & manipulate his own child into committing a murder 
u cant even believe what this guy did 2 his wife & child! like, stabbin himself 2 make it look like self defense? 
. poor kid's gonna have 2 deal w/ the trauma 4 life tho... just hope they get the help they need 
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