Letters by wife criticised husband's performance in bed

9:01am Wednesday 4th October 2006

A WOMAN allegedly murdered by her husband sent his family letters claiming he was sexually inadequate, a court heard.

Mike Gifford-Hull's stepmother Susan Hull said she received the "disgusting" letter within a couple of months of being told her stepson had been having an affair with a prostitute.

Annoyed' Gifford-Hull's half brother, Richard Gifford-Hull, also received a letter from Kirsi Gifford-Hull, 38, which he described as "unnecessary" and something which annoyed him.

Jurors at Winchester Crown Court heard how the typed letter claimed Mike Gifford-Hull was "not much good in bed" and used words to infer that he was sexually inadequate.

Giving evidence yesterday, Mrs Hull - the defendant's stepmother of 23 years - said she had burnt the note but later wrote back to Finnish-born Kirsi, telling her she was "around" if she needed someone to talk to.

She told the court how she had first learnt about Mike Gifford-Hull's affair when he called her on the day Kirsi had made the discovery.

Mrs Hull said her stepson told her he "was in great trouble because he had been seeing an Internet girl and Kirsi had found out and that she was furious".

Asked by defence barrister Nicholas Haggan QC about Gifford-Hull's character, she agreed he was quiet, gentle, mild-mannered, polite and courteous, telling jurors "he was a very good family man".

Asked about the phone call from her stepson in March last year, she said: "He was very ashamed and upset and wanted to talk to me.

"He wanted me to phone Kirsi to see if I could help her and see if I could change her mind about banishing him from the house. I was hesitant, but I agreed."

The court heard that when she called Kirsi she was upset and didn't think she could forgive her husband.

Richard Gifford-Hull, managing director of RM Trailers, the family business which the defendant has 41 per cent shares in, told jurors how in the months that Kirsi and his brother had separated, Mike was upset and had on one occasion said he was "staring divorce in the face".

Asked about when Mike arrived at work on September 19 last year and revealed Kirsi had gone missing, Mr Gifford-Hull said: "He was obviously very upset."

Kenneth Smith, a welder and fitter at RM Trailers in Alresford, told the court Gifford-Hull had spoken to him about the row between him and Kirsi that allegedly happened on the night before he claimed she disappeared.

He told his employee "they had had a big bust-up" and how his wife had taunted him that he "couldn't kiss", had a "small manhood" and "all he was interested in was sex, soldiers and sport".

Gifford-Hull, 43, has admitted killing Kirsi but denies murder.

He claims he accidentally strangled her during a row at the family home in Harestock Road, Winchester, before burying her body in Micheldever Woods.

Proceeding.