Man jailed for murdering his ex-wife at their son’s grave

A man has been jailed for murdering his ex-wife at their late son’s grave on what would have been his birthday.

Martin Suter, 68, of Portsmouth Road in Lee-on-Solent, has been sentenced to a minimum of 27 years imprisonment at Portsmouth Crown Court today (21 November 2025) for Murder. This sentence includes an offence of indecent assault that he admitted at Bolton Crown Court.

Suter had pleaded guilty to Manslaughter but denied Murder. The guilty plea to manslaughter was not accepted by the prosecution who proceeded to trial on the murder in May 2024. On the first day of his trial, Suter pleaded guilty to Murder.

On 24 July 2023, on what would have been their late son Christopher’s 36th birthday, Suter armed himself with a large kitchen knife from his home and took it with him the graveyard where his son was buried. He then lay in wait to attack his ex-wife, Ann Blackwood, rightly anticipating she would visit her son’s grave that day.

Suter stabbed Ms Blackwood in the back with a kitchen knife causing the blade to break off with the first blow. He then took a pair of scissors that she had brought with her to cut the flowers she had brought to her son’s grave and repeatedly stabbed her with these.

Suter subsequently called 999 to admit to the killing, stating “I’ve just killed my ex-wife. I’ve just stabbed her to death”.

Liam Hunter, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This was a planned and ferocious attack by the defendant where he had a clear intention to kill Ms Blackwood. He waited for Ms Blackwood at the cemetery for over five hours before she arrived on her bicycle, attacking her as she approached her son’s grave. He maintained his attack on Ms Blackwood even after his knife broke with the first blow, picking up the scissors she had brought to scene to continue his brutal assault.

“This sentence at last holds Suter responsible for his actions that day. There is no sentence that can return Ms Blackwood to her family, but we hope they are comforted that her killer has been brought to justice. Our thoughts remain with Ms Blackwood’s family during this difficult time."