Accused wife-killer had marital problems, court told

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This article was published 03/12/2021 (1492 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BRANDON — A longtime friend of a Brandon woman whose body was found in the debris after her house exploded, testified Thursday that Betty Hughes had been unhappy and her marriage was troubled.

Robert Hughes, Betty’s husband, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in her Oct. 22, 2019, death.

In Brandon’s Court of Queen’s Bench Thursday, neighbours and friends testified about their final interactions with Betty before the explosion at the couple’s home on Queens Avenue East.

Dianne Noto told court she believed the two had been having problems. She said they bought the East End home after selling their old house that summer.

She testified she last saw Betty on Oct. 21, the day before the explosion. She said Betty seemed “sad” and informed her she would be selling their newly purchased house.

Real estate agent Susan Hargreaves testified Betty was “upset” on the day of the explosion. Hargreaves went there to put up a “for sale” sign and spent time talking to Betty.

Neighbour James Devereux testified Betty knocked on his door that afternoon and asked to borrow a shovel and a rake. She also told him she was selling the house.

Devereux said he was outside putting the tools back in his garage around 6 p.m. when he saw Robert Hughes arrive home.

Devereux told court he heard a “big bang” some time between 6:30 and 6:45 p.m.

“I thought it was something that happened with my furnace,” he said.

He called a repair company to check the furnace.

“Just as I was doing it, somebody rang our front doorbell. My wife answers the doorbell and the person who was there told my wife that the house next door blew up.

“I went out the front door, I had a look… and just as that was happening, police cars, fire department, everybody was coming up the street,” he said, adding police then told him he needed to leave the area immediately.

None of the witnesses who testified Thursday said they had noticed any injuries on Betty.

Earlier Thursday, defence lawyer Saul Simmonds continued to cross-examine pathologist Dennis Rhee, who did the autopsy on Betty.

Rhee said he could not tell the direction of the blade that sliced an artery near her face and ultimately led to her death. The court heard on Wednesday Betty died from blood loss due to the cut.

She had a number of other wounds on her body at the time of her death, Rhee testified.

On Monday, the first day of the trial, Brandon Const. Travis Foster said Betty was found in a pool of blood in the debris.

The trial is set to continue Monday.

— Brandon Sun