Husband John Yates 'beat estranged wife to death after 30 years of abuse then drove to police station with her body in the back of his car' John Yates denies murdering his wife of 18 years and admits manslaughter Jury heard Yates beat his wife to death before taking her body to police Court told Yates' violence and abuse towards his wife went back 30 years John Yates has been accused of killing his estranged wife before taking her body to a police station. He denies her murder but admits manslaughter A 'violent and abusive' man killed his estranged wife then turned up at a police base with her body in the back of his car, a court heard. John Yates, 58, of Padgate, Warrington, denies murdering his wife of 18 years, Barbara, a 49-year-old mother-of-two, last July. He admits manslaughter. Prosecuting barrister Wyn Lloyd Jones told Caernarfon Crown Court how the couple were separated and Yates 'beat his wife to death'. Outlining the case to a jury, Mr Lloyd Jones said: 'He had been violent towards her in the past. He had displayed towards her a temperament which was controlling and possessive. He had shown he was jealous. When the defendant was interviewed by the police after his arrest he told them he didn't want to share.' He murdered her in a 'brutal' fashion, the jury was told. Counsel said: 'The defendant was violent and abusive towards her.' The violence and abuse went back 30 years. He said previously Mrs Yates had told her sister that her husband had locked her in a cupboard. In 1987 she was admitted to hospital after he allegedly punched her repeatedly, tried to strangle her, and banged her head on a car dashboard. In 2009 Mrs Yates decided she could take no more and left the defendant. But he was jealous of her new life. In 2011 she was taken to hospital after a 'prolonged assault' by him. At one stage he got a hammer and hit her over the head. 'Fortunately, it wasn't with great force,' Mr Lloyd Jones told the jury. He screamed at her "you are going to die b*****." Yates had allegedly placed his hand over her mouth so she couldn't breathe but eventually she managed to calm him. Barbara Yates was murdered in a 'brutal fashion', Caernarfon Crown Court heard 'She thought she was going to die is what she told a police officer,' the prosecutor said. Her face was bloodied and bruised and a friend said she hardly recognised her. Mrs Yates, a taxi escort for disabled children, had described how her husband went berserk after being refused sex. But she withdrew a complaint against him. Seven months later, on July 18, she was killed. Yates had been on police bail following an incident 13 days earlier when he stole 35 pairs of shoes and a new dress from her home. He'd put them on a bonfire. Yates drove to the North Wales police traffic base at St Asaph with the body of his wife in the boot of his car Mr Lloyd Jones told the jury how Yates had turned up in his Peugeot 306 estate at the North Wales police traffic base at St Asaph where he spoke to a chief inspector. Mr Lloyd Jones said Yates told the officer: '"I need to hand myself in please, I have killed my wife. I have just had enough. I have mental health issues. She is in the back of the car. Mr Lloyd Jones said: 'The police looked and Mrs Yates's body was in the back of the car.' The jury heard there had been a prolonged assault and Mrs Yates suffered 'severe blunt force head, face and neck injuries' Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers concluded that there had been a prolonged assault and Mrs Yates suffered 'severe blunt force head, face and neck injuries'. Bones in her face had been shattered. There were multiple internal skull fractures. The doctor said there had been multiple blows using a weapon and from punches, and manual strangling. A hand may have been placed over the mouth. During police interviews Yates claimed he hadn't intended to kill his wife but told officers 'I lost my head'. Mr Lloyd Jones said: 'The issue is whether it was murder or manslaughter. The defendant apparently will be advancing a defence of loss of control.