Warren Rogers killed wife in jealous rage, court told
DAVID Jones sales assistant Anne Rogers agreed to try and rebuild her marriage of 40 years despite having “reconnected” with her high school sweetheart through Facebook. But weeks later Warren Rogers grabbed a pillow and suffocated her, a court has heard.
NSW
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DAVID Jones sales assistant Anne Rogers agreed to try and rebuild her marriage of 40 years despite having “reconnected” with her high school sweetheart through Facebook.
But a court has heard just weeks after returning to the matrimonial home in Sydney, her husband Warren Rogers became incensed after discovering email correspondence between his wife and her old flame.
Following a family barbecue on the afternoon of September 11, 2016, the pair had a heated argument and Mr Rogers grabbed a pillow and placed it over his wife’s face and suffocated her.
“Anne Louise Rogers was murdered by her husband … at Milperra in her own home, in her own bedroom and on her own bed,” Crown prosecutor Nanette Williams told the NSW Supreme Court today.
Mr Rogers has admitted he killed the mother of his two children but his defence barrister argued he was not guilty of murder because of the depression he was suffering at the time.
“Mr Roger’s depression is central to the defence case,” barrister Richard Pontello said during his opening address to a jury.
“The defence case is that after Mr Rogers learned of his wife’s relationship with [her high school sweetheart] … he became very depressed. Very depressed indeed,” he said.
“When Mr Rogers committed that act … his capacity to control himself was substantially impaired by an abnormality of mind arising from … mainly the depression he suffered.”
But the Crown case is Mr Rogers murdered his wife in a jealous rage and at the time was aware that a separation would result in their assets being divided.
“The accused was jealous and angry with the deceased because she continued, against his wishes, to have contact with [the man],” Crown prosecutor Nanette Williams said.
“It is also the Crown case that added to the accused’s state of anger and jealousy was he was very mindful of his desire to continue to control the family’s money,” she said.
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The court heard an ambulance officer spoke to Mr Rogers inside the couple’s Milperra home while treating him for injuries sustained after a suicide attempt.
Ambulance officer: Who’s upstairs?
Rogers: My wife.
Officer: What happened?
Rogers: She cheated on me four times, stick a needle in my arm, I want to die.
The jury is also expected to hear a recording where Mr Rogers says to his son-in-law at Bankstown hospital, “I just snapped mate” and “ I don’t know why I dunnit”.
Mr Pontello said his client was a “devoted husband and grandfather” who had suffered from lymphatic and prostate cancer and had been prescribed a hormone blocking medication which had side effects including loss of libido and depression.
“A man for all but one day of his 61 years lived with the highest degree of integrity and love for those around him,” Mr Pontello said.
The trial continues before Justice Julia Lonergan.