Agris Titans, left, has admitted murdering his wife, Edite Titane

by Keith Hunt

A jealous husband who strangled his wife as their young daughter slept nearby has been jailed for life.

After killing Edite Titane, Agris Titans fled, leaving three-year-old Keita in the bedroom with her mother’s body.

Titans, 25, admitted murdering his 22-year-old wife and he was today told by a judge he will have to serve a minimum of 13 years before being considered for release.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the Latvian couple had been married for three years but although they were still living together they had separate beds.

Prosecutor Anthony Haycroft said Titans, of Cecil Road, Rochester, was jealous and controlling and would get angry with his wife when drunk.

Edite told a friend her husband had tried to strangle her twice. He was especially jealous if she spoke to other men.

Agris Titans has admitted murdering his wife

Titans had become angry about Edite forming a friendship with work colleague Brian Taruvnga. All three worked at International Produce Ltd fruit and vegetable packers in Newington.

Titans is believed to have strangled his wife with his hands in the early hours of August 1 last year after drinking heavily.

She was found later that morning fully clothed in bed by her brother and sister Egons and Egita Lielpinka, who also lived in the house.

Titans left and attempted suicide. He was arrested in Rochester High Street the next day.

He told police he wanted to "accept the punishment". He admitted strangling his wife and claimed he did so after she told him she wanted to leave him for another man.

Judge Jeremy Carey told Titans: "You fled the scene leaving behind the body of your wife in the room where your little girl was still present and without raising any kind of alarm.

"That is a troubling feature of this case. You leave much tragedy in your wake. You leave the family of this young woman to grieve terribly for her. You leave your daughter.

"She no longer has, and will never have, a mother. These consequences are most serious."