Iain Montgomery was jailed today for the murder of his wife
Iain Montgomery, who served as a soldier in Northern Ireland, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for the brutal murder of his wife.
Montgomery showed no emotion as he was jailed today at Stafford Crown Court after admitting killing Tina Montgomery in Tamworth, Staffordshire, in January this year.
Jailing the 39-year-old, The Recorder of Stafford Judge Michael Chambers QC said former squaddie Montgomery had carried out a "brutal, prolonged attack", which had been triggered by "an extreme and violent explosion of temper".
Montgomery, described as "quiet" by colleagues and friends, pleaded guilty to the murder at an earlier hearing but has never explained his motives.
The judge said: "This was a brutal, prolonged attack on a woman using a variety of weapons, intending to kill."
He added: "The tragedy of this case is that, not just to the outside world, but also those who knew you and your wife - it was an essentially happy marriage of some 14 years.
"However some time between 4.30pm and 6pm on the evening of January 8, you killed her.
"There is no suggestion it was pre-meditated, but there clearly was by you an outburst of extreme, violent temper, the reason for which may never be known."
Evidence of Montgomery's guilt was provided by a forward-facing camera fitted inside the cab of his Aldi lorry, showing him tossing away a blood-stained rolling pin he had used to batter his wife.
He also used wet wipes to clean items including his hands and his watch, before throwing the items from the cab.
The images were caught in the reflection of his own windscreen, while the vidoe tape recorded him saying "I don't know what to do".
In court, wearing a red sweater and sporting a short beard, Montgomery stared down at his feet in the dock throughout the hearing.
Members of Mrs Montgomery's family looked on from the public gallery among them her mother and two grown-up children, from a previous relationship.
There was an outburst from the public gallery as he was sent down, but Montgomery made no response.
Friends said Montgomery, of Cross Street - a former soldier who had served in Northern Ireland - seemed utterly devoted to his partner with one describing how the trucker thought of her as his "everything".
However, he killed his wife and then set off to complete a shift at work where colleagues described him as seemingly calm.
He returned home and dialled 999 telling police he had walked in from work to find the body of hair-dresser Mrs Montgomery, as part of what prosecutors said was a charade to cover up his crime.
A post-mortem examination showed Mrs Montgomery had been stabbed multiple times and suffered at least 40 blows.
Her husband of 14 years had used four weapons to kill her, including a kettle, a rolling-pin - later recovered near a layby off the A4500 in Northamptonshire - a knife and another bladed instrument which has never been found.
There were also defensive wounds on the victim's body, with medical evidence showing Mrs Montgomery had taken up to an hour to die following the assault.
Gareth Evans QC, prosecuting, said: "This was a brutal, savage and prolonged attack on a woman with an intent to kill."