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A man who murdered his wife in a violent and calculated manner has had his prison sentence increased following an appeal. Robert Rhodes was responsible for killing his wife, Dawn, by slitting her throat in their family home in Surrey back in 2016. Initially, Rhodes was acquitted of murder in 2017 after stating that his wife had attempted to attack him. However, new testimony from their child led to a retrial in December 2025, resulting in him receiving a minimum sentence of 29 and a half years in January.
The Attorney General referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal, arguing that it was “unduly lenient.” After review, the court extended Rhodes’ minimum term by four years, stating that the initial sentence did not adequately reflect the severity of his crime or the prolonged cover-up. Prosecutors emphasized Rhodes’ manipulation and deceit over many years, insisting that the starting point for his sentence should have been significantly higher.
In its judgment, the Court of Appeal condemned Rhodes for his “callous, selfish manipulation” of their child, describing it as a particularly disturbing element of the case. The court affirmed that Rhodes deserved a long minimum prison term and noted that certain aspects of the case, such as his deliberate planning and involvement of the child, should have led to a harsher punishment. These factors contributed to the decision to increase the sentence.
During the retrial held at Inner London Crown Court, it was revealed that Rhodes had plotted the murder over several months and coerced his child into assisting with the attack. The murder took place in the kitchen of the family home near Redhill. Following the killing, Rhodes inflicted injuries on the child and asked them to stab him in the back, aiming to support his false claim that he had been attacked
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