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Grave Attack: Man Stabs Ex-Wife on Son's Birthday
21 Nov, 2025
Summary
- Man lay in wait at cemetery for five hours before stabbing ex-wife.
- Attack occurred on their deceased son's 36th birthday.
- Killer used a kitchen knife and then scissors from victim.
Martin Suter, 68, has been sentenced for the brutal murder of his 71-year-old ex-wife, Ann Blackwood, at Crofton Cemetery. The attack, which occurred on July 24, 2023, took place on their son Christopher's 36th birthday. Suter had waited five hours before fatally stabbing Ms. Blackwood with a kitchen knife and then scissors.
Sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court, Suter received 27 years and 109 days for the murder and an additional sentence for an indecent assault of a girl under 14. Judge Michael Bowes KC described the murder as an "act of wickedness," occurring on the son's grave.
Ms. Blackwood's family expressed devastation, calling the act "alien and beyond our comprehension." The court heard Suter blamed the deceased for their son's death, with no genuine remorse expressed. Suter was also diagnosed with autism and depression.
