Man jailed for life after murdering fiancee and wrapping body in clingfilm
Madog Rowlands ordered drugs and ate takeaway food after murdering Oswestry woman Lauren Griffiths.
A university student who murdered his fiancee at their home before ordering drugs and eating takeaway food next to her body has been sentenced to life with a minimum of 18 years.
Madog Rowlands wrapped the body of Lauren Griffiths, who was from Oswestry, in bin bags and clingfilm after strangling her at their home.
The murder happened in Cardiff, where Ms Griffiths had moved with Rowlands, who is from Wrexham, so he could attend university in the Welsh capital.
After the murder Rowlands, then 22, bought MDMA and cannabis before ordering a sandwich from Subway which he ate while sat next to the body of his wife-to-be.
He waited 35 hours before dialling 999 – and tried to fool operators into thinking that the incident had just happened.
Miss Griffiths, 21, was found dead at their flat on Glynrhondda Street at around 6.30pm on April 30, 2019.
Rowlands, now 23, of Coed Efa in New Broughton, had denied murder but was found guilty after a trial at Newport Crown Court last year.
Sentencing him, Judge Daniel Williams said Rowlands had shown no remorse and was only concerned for himself.
He said he was sure Rowlands had thoughts of murdering Lauren for a long time before he did.
Miss Griffiths had survived a previous attempt on her life by Rowlands in March 2018, again by strangulation, after she refused to cave into his demands to enter into a suicide pact with him.
The assault investigation was discontinued after the couple got back together.
In his evidence, Rowlands claimed that he didn't intend to kill Miss Griffiths.
But Judge Williams said: "You put your hands around her throat and strangled her to death intending to kill her.
“You then put a ligature around your throat and, on your account, you tried to take your life.
"Although you were found to have ligature marks around your neck, there was nothing to indicate any attempt was determined and it was soon overwhelmed by thoughts of consequences to you of Lauren’s death.
“What you did for 35 hours after murdering Lauren defies belief.
“You ordered drugs to be delivered to the flat, paid for by cash from your account and Lauren’s. After the drugs were delivered you ordered a sandwich home delivery which you ate in the bedroom on a mattress next to Lauren’s body.
"You took drugs and drank whiskey and had thoughts of getting rid of Lauren’s body.
“You wrapped her in clingfilm and bin bags and bound her ankles with sellotape, and you had thoughts of getting her out of the flat, but you abandoned those thoughts.
“Thirty-five hours after murdering Lauren you rang 999. You claimed in that chilling call your actions in strangling Lauren to death were defensive – a lie you persisted in at trial. The jury saw through that claim and saw through you."
The amount of time he has spent on remand in prison, 485 days, will be deducted from his 18-year minimum sentence.
