A 68-year-old man who murdered his ex-wife at their son’s grave after lying in wait for hours has been handed a life sentence. Martin Suter, from Lee-on-the-Solent, will serve a minimum of 27 years and 230 days for killing 71-year-old Ann Blackwood in July 2023 at Crofton Cemetery in Stubbington, Hampshire.
Portsmouth Crown Court heard that Suter arrived at the cemetery early on 24 July what would have been their late son Christopher’s 36th birthday. He remained hidden for around five hours, waiting for Ms Blackwood to arrive on her bicycle to lay flowers.
When she reached the grave, Suter launched a brutal attack. Prosecutor Robert O’Sullivan KC told the court that Suter first stabbed her in the back with a kitchen knife. When the blade snapped during the initial blow, he turned Ms Blackwood’s own scissors intended for trimming flowers—into a weapon, repeatedly stabbing her in the neck.
After the attack, Suter called 999 from the graveside. He immediately confessed, telling emergency services and bystanders: “No, she’s dead — I killed her. I called the police. It’s been 40 years. I couldn’t take it any more.” He blamed her for the suicide of their son Christopher, who died at age 15 in 2003. The couple divorced the following year.
Judge Michael Bowes KC condemned the murder as a “cruel and agonising” killing committed with clear intent and planning.
In emotional victim statements, Ms Blackwood was described as the “hub of the family”, a vibrant and devoted mother whose death has devastated relatives and friends. Her brother, John Blackwood, said the family had been “splintered in the most grotesque manner possible.”
The court also heard that just two months before the murder, Suter had pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a girl under 14, receiving a separate four-month sentence.
Suter will remain behind bars well into his nineties, bringing a measure of justice for a crime that has shocked the community.
