A SOUTHAMPTON dad has been found guilty of drugging his children and murdering his wife with a sledgehammer and knife.

George Kibuuka smashed the weapon into his wife Margaret's head twice and slit her throat so deeply it reached her spine as she lay sleeping next to one of their children.

This afternoon jurors convicted Kabuuka by a majority guilty verdict at Winchester Crown Court.

The jury also unanimously found the 48-year-old guilty of three counts of drugging their children to enable him to carry out the murder in Richville Road, Shirley, in November last year.

He laced fizzy drink and a trifle with crushed sleeping tablets.

After the killing his 40-year-old wife Kibuuka, originally from Uganda, stabbed himself in the stomach and swallowed pesticide but was found by paramedics and survived.

Our video report from the day of the murder

Kibuuka, admitted the killing but denied murder and drugging the children. His defence argued diminished responsibility.

Earlier in the trial, the court heard that part-time carer Margaret had filed for divorce, claiming her husband had been violent towards her.

The mum-of-four had complained to police about her husband's violence and emotional abuse in the weeks before her death.

On jailing him for life Mr Justice Royce said: "This was a terrible savage killing of an intelligent gentle and loving mother.

"It was a selfish cold and calculated killing that stemmed from your anger about her pursuing the divorce and your concern about keeping your assets.

"You are a controlling man who likes to rule the roost and woe betide anyone who has the temerity not to obey you."

READ THE FULL STORY IN TODAY'S DAILY ECHO