THE murder of Eve Howells shocked the nation back in August 1995.
But who was she and how did she die? Here's everything you need to know.
Who was Eve Howells?
Eve Howells, 48 -was a mum, a wife and a schoolteacher, who lived in Dalton, Huddersfield.
She met her husband, David Howells, in 1971 at a British Legion function and the pair married in 1973.
They had two sons, Glenn and John – who were just 15 and 14 at the time of their mothers murder.
Eve worked as a schoolteacher at Newsome High school in Huddersfield, where she taught history and religious education.
Former pupils and colleagues remembered Mrs Howells as a strict teacher who created an atmosphere of fear in the classroom and it was reported that she was given the nickname – 'Evil Howells'.
On August 31, 1995, Eve Howells was found brutally murdered in her family home, after being viciously attacked with a hammer.
Read More on Crime
Innocent Olivia ‘shot dead in revenge attack during brutal gangster war’
Woman, 71, knifed to death, after ‘asking neighbour to turn music down’
She was hit at least 10 times as she sat in the lounge of her family home in Dalton Green Lane.
Who killed Eve Howells?
On first appearances, the murder of Eve Howells looked to be the tragic result of a burglary that had taken place.
But the gruesome truth was that Eve had been murdered at the hands of her own family – and it was her own husband who had pre-meditated the cruel murder.
David Howells groomed his two teenage sons to do exactly what he wanted – and that was to murder their own mother.
Most read in News
Innocent Olivia, 9, was gunned down by hitman at bedtime as she hid behind mum
Families flee Kent beach in terror as huge 'shark' circles near kids
Russia threatens West with nuclear war & vows to prepare BOMB SHELTERS
Girl, 9, shot dead after man burst into home while being chased by gunman
The couples eldest son, Glenn, who was just 15 years-old attacked his mother with a hammer, bludgeoning her around 10 times.
14 year-old John then helped his brother cover up the murder by disposing of the murder weapon and clothing.
Both boys then attempted to make the attack look like a burglary gone wrong – by tipping over furniture and making claims that money had been stolen from the property.
The mastermind behind the deadly attack, David, was out playing darts to give himself the perfect alibi.
The father and son trio were believed to have been pre-meditating this murderous plot for a number of months as their hatred for Eve deepened.
After her murder, it was reported that Eve had made family life ''an unbearable hell'' as both her sons and husbands were subjected to bullying.
It was said that she had run the family home like a dictator, as she enforced curfews, rationed food and often made threats of punishments.
And it was the couples two sons who bore the brunt of Eve's reported ''unbearable hell''.
In the light of her murder, reports of Eve's bullying accusations of physical abuse came to light – with reports that she had smacked both her sons on the back and on the legs, had spat at them and threw things at them both.
A next door neighbour recalled how Eve Howells said she had tied the boys to a kitchen table when they were aged just two or three.
The neighbour said: "We used to dread them going in for bathtime because of the screams that used to come from the bathroom."
And the accusations of abuse didn't stop there – according to one psychologist, eldest son Glenn became his mother's 'body slave'.
Reports told of how he was forced to massage his mother's back as she stood naked – as well as removing the dirt from her toenails.
Her son became so disturbed that he was referred to a psychologist after he began burning pounds £5 notes and urinating in litter bins.
But a friend of Eve claimed they had exaggerated her mood swings "to try to get off the hook."
But the final straw came when Eve's husband, David, claimed he had discovered that his wife was having an affair with boys' godfather and a family friend, Russell Hirst – providing a motive for his murderous plot.
It was also believed that he stood to inherit his wife's £155,000 fortune.
How long were Eve Howells' killers jailed for?
It was a crime that shocked the nation, as it was the first time in Britain that a father and his sons had been convicted of murdering the mother.
Despite all three entering a not guilty plea – they were found guilty of murdering Eve Howells.
In 1997, David Howells was convicted by a jury at Leeds Crown Court for his role in the killing of his wife and was sentenced to life behind bars.
Both Glenn and John were also found guilty and were sentenced to detention at Her Majesty's prison for an indefinite period of time.
Source: Read Full Article