Man found guilty of murdering wife after child reveals new evidence in rare retrial
A man initially cleared of his wife’s murder was convicted of the crime after his child presented compelling new evidence.
Surrey Police confirmed that Robert Rhodes, 52, of Withleigh, Devon, was unanimously found guilty of murdering his wife Dawn on June 2, 2016 by a jury at Inner London Crown Court.
He was also convicted of child cruelty for injuring a child under the age of 10, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in order to conceal the crime. Other charges included perverting the course of justice by causing harm to himself and the child, and manipulating the child to harm himself as part of an attempt to cover up.
Police said Rhodes was also found guilty of perjury at the Old Bailey in 2017 and of falsely giving evidence he knew to be false in the family court in 2018.
Jurors at the trial at Inner London Crown Court heard how Rhodes was acquitted of murder in 2017 after believing Dawn’s statement that she had first tried to attack him and that he had acted in self-defence.
The main witness at the trial, the child under 10, told his therapist in November 2021 that their father planned Dawn’s murder and manipulated them into getting involved.
Police said Rhodes described it as “our plan” and then lied to the boy about how his mother died.
In an interview, the boy described how his father caused his relationship with his mother to deteriorate and how Rhodes manipulated them into helping him get rid of his mother.
The boy also told police that during supervised contact with Rhodes in 2016 and 2017, when he was out on bail after being charged with Dawn’s murder, he continued to give them instructions to stick to the plan and told them they were “doing some things wrong.”
Police said Rhodes continued to manipulate and groom the child, including hiding a phone in his mother’s home and leaving messages for the child reminding him of their agreement.
Rhodes’ acquittal was overturned in November 2024 and a retrial was granted.
During the retrial, the court heard how the marriage was in trouble before Dawn’s death and Rhodes had filed for divorce.
Police said the boy called 999 at 7.34pm on June 2, during which Rhodes said his wife had attacked him and their children with a knife and he had acted in self-defence.
Police found Dawn Rhodes on the kitchen floor, her neck cut to the extent that all structures had been severed.
Rhodes told police that he hit his wife twice in the back of the head and that the deep scratches on the child’s arms were caused by his mother.
Rhodes was arrested for murder that evening.
He told police that he and Dawn were arguing in the kitchen and Dawn grabbed a knife and waved it at the child, at which point she told the child to go upstairs.
Rhodes said he managed to grab the knife and came at him angrily.
She said he swung the knife at her, making contact with her neck, before running upstairs and calling the police.
The child gave a statement consistent with Rhodes’ account of how his injuries occurred.
After the murder, Rhodes told police that his wife attacked him after she “turned upside down” like the green Marvel Comics character Hulk.
Detective chief inspector Kimball Edey, senior investigating officer from Surrey and Sussex Police’s major crime team, said: “At the first hearing Dawn was portrayed as the villain but in fact she was the victim of domestic abuse and coercive control at the hands of her husband for years.
“The fact that Rhodes not only murdered his wife in cold blood, but then manipulated and groomed his own child to play a part in his evil plan and cover up what he had done is simply despicable; he not only took one life, he irreparably damaged the life of another and everyone who loved Dawn.
“The fact that the child came forward nine years after his mother’s death to tell what happened is remarkable and an example of great courage.
“While it must be acknowledged that the child was under the age of criminal responsibility at the time of Dawn’s death and that they were not responsible for the actions that Rhodes directed them to do, it is not extraordinary that they were found to be complicit in Dawn’s death and that they came forward nine years later to rectify the situation.”
Dawn’s mother, Liz Spencer, said she was a “loving daughter, sister and mother”, adding: “Being a mother is what brought Dawn joy, she always wanted to be a mother.
“Dawn was caring, talented and strong. She would do anything for anyone and was loved by her friends and family.
“Dawn was an organizer and a consummate human being, organizing local charity events to include the community and colleagues she worked at Raven Housing Trust.
“She was always involved in organizing work-related social events, especially at Christmas time. Dawn was loved by all her peers.”
“Dawn was looking for someone to build a life with all her life. She was looking for someone to love and be loved by, someone to trust and rely on, someone to respect and be respected by.”
Rhodes will be sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on Friday, January 16.
