An ex-bus driver was found guilty of choking his wife to death by using a “squeaky Punch and Judy” voice.
Keith Bettison, 73, murdered 48-year-old Ildiko Bettison at their home in Chessington, Surrey on Halloween last year and told police ‘I killed the b****, what more do you want to know’ when they found him.
The couple were ‘big drinkers’ and their relationship had been deteriorating after Bettison lost his job, the Old Bailey heard.
Bettison was dismissed for gross misconduct in crash of bus, despite having reversed six months earlier.
A jury deliberated four hours on Tuesday to convict Bettison of the murder at Old Bailey.
Keith Bettison, 73, (left) who ‘tormented’ his wife Ildiko Bettison, 48, (right) by using a ‘squeaky Punch and Judy voice’ has been found guilty of chocking her to death
The former bus driver Keith Bettison, 73, killed 48-year-old Ildiko Bettison at their home in Chessington, Surrey (pictured) on Halloween last year
The court heard that Mrs Bettison was originally from Hungary and used to “idolise” her husband. She would even do whatever for him.
Two years later, the relationship was strained and they began to drink heavily.
Before he was fired in June 2020, the defendant crashed his bus as he reversed.
According to Kate Bex, Kate Bex QC prosecutor Kate Bex said that the pandemic forced them to stay at home more often and made things “very difficult”.
Due to the thin walls that separated their homes, Neighbour Debbie May was able to hear a lot about the arguments between them.
Ms. Bex explained that Ilde was found drunk and had fallen from the staircase shortly before her death.
“She was told that the defendant had been torturing her and mimicking her, using a Punch and Judy-type voice. He called her a fat cow.
Another time, Mrs Bettison said that she had thrown her mirror at him and it hit the front door.
Last October 26, Mrs Bettison was seen with a black eye. She told Ms May that he had punched her.
Just a night before her death, Ms May Bettison was seen arriving at her doorstep in a modest nightdress with a glass of Gin and Tonic.
After showing her bruises, she said that it was her friend before getting up and going home.
Bettisone told police ‘I killed the b****, what more do you want to know’ when they found him, the Old Bailey heard
The defendant called Zsuzsika Bettison (25), at 1 AM and stated that he had killed his daughter. It couldn’t take anymore.
He rang 999 and said that he had been in a fight with the victim.
When police arrived at their home on the night of the murder, Bettison said: ‘I killed the b****, what more do you want to know.’
Bettison, who was on the spot of Bettison’s murder, was later arrested. Later, he pleaded not guilty.
Officers found Mrs Bettison semi-naked in her bed. She was declared dead just after 2AM.
The defendant, while in custody, said that “She gets mad and hits me, and I have to hit back at her, what can we do?”
Bettison allegedly told a friend her husband put her in a stranglehold, wrapping his arm around her neck.
This type of ‘carotid-sleeper hold’ was suggested by jurors as the reason Mrs Bettison died.
Bettison was accused of holding his wife from the behind for 15 to 30 seconds.
Bettison claimed that he had only briefly held her throat up in front of jurors after she had drunkenly accusede him of having an affair.
He stated that he stood up and headed downstairs expecting his wife to do the same.
According to the prosecution, Mrs Bettison was not in the right place on the bed.
Old Bailey believed Bettison was a heavy drinker and had often been in loud row with his wife.
Their daughter previously told the court the family had gone to several counselling sessions relating to her mother’s alcoholism in the months leading up to her death.
After her mother’s liver disease diagnosis, the couple quit drinking. However, they resumed their habit a month later.
Graduate Zsuzsika said of her father: ‘He would make noises and stuff.
‘He would say what she said, but sort of do it back in a voice, like a childish voice, because he was annoyed.
‘It was just to annoy her, because he was annoyed she would not stop getting at him.
‘He would call her names, like lazy and b****.
‘It would just be that sort of voice, he would call her fat and stuff.’
Zsuzsika recorded two videos showing her drunken parents arguing weeks prior to the murder. These video clips showed her mother screaming at her father while he laughed and shouted insults at her.
In the video, Ildiko can be seen shouting: ‘F*** you, don’t f****** call me f****** names, I don’t give a f****** s***.
‘Can’t do nothing in bed, you can’t even go hard enough.’
Zsuzsika said: ‘I wanted to show my mum what she was like when she was drinking, and I thought might help.
‘It was typical, but that was bad.
‘She would always say “You defend Dad over me.”’
Zsuzsika said that her father called her after the murder.
She continued: ‘I answered the phone, and he was crying,
‘He was crying and said: “I killed her, I f****** killed her.”
‘He repeated: “I killed her, I f****** killed her. I could not f****** take it anymore.”
‘He repeated he strangled her.
‘I think he was still in the car.
‘He said he’d reached the end of his tether.’
The court heard that Ildika was ‘a nice mum’ but became abusive after she drank.
‘It was not her, it was obviously the alcohol. However, when she started to drink she became an entirely different person.
‘My dad wouldn’t start the arguments, it was always my mum.’
After she attacked her physically, she said that she saw her father hitting her face in the head once.
Vicky Tunstall (Met’s Specialist Crime Command) said that this was an unnecessary act of violence, fuelled by anger and alcohol.
Ildiko’s family will never be the same again despite Keith Bettison’s regret. Their extended family lost them both due to their actions. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.
Bettison was taken into custody and will be sent to trial today.