Graham Cleary-Senior

Graham Cleary-Senior, a violent male transvestite, was jailed for life for the murder of his wife Frances. Cleary-Senior, 56, was told he would serve at least 15 years in prison when he was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court in August 2015.

Mrs Cleary-Senior initially survived being stabbed by her husband and underwent major surgery at Manchester Royal Infirmary. Unfortunately she subsequently contracted a respiratory infection while recovering in hospital and died a month after being admitted.

However, she was able to make a statement to the police and described 18 years of violence and abuse at the hands of her husband; he had previously threatened her with knives on six previous occasions. She had apparently discovered weeks into their marriage that he was an alcoholic and a transvestite. His drinking was responsible for thousands of pounds of debt the couple had accrued and they had been forced to sell their home. 

Mrs Cleary-Senior’s sister said that while in hospital after the stabbing her sister told her the defendant had been ‘very controlling’. The court heard Mrs Cleary-Senior’s family had initially shielded her 90-year-old mother from news of the stabbing – and that she was inconsolable when she learnt her daughter had died.

Senior investigating officer Duncan Thorpe said: “This was a horrific attack that Graham Cleary-Senior subjected his wife to. “Upon being arrested, he showed absolutely no remorse for the callous murder of his wife, saying that she pushed him to it.

Photo via Daily Mirror

Media reports:

BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-34139037

Manchester Evening News http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/alcoholic-cleary-senior-murder-sentenced-9982379

Daily Mirror http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nurse-stabbed-death-alcoholic-transvestite-6328012

Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3219970/Cross-dressing-merchant-seaman-stabbed-wife-death.html