Bristol man Darryl Bowen has been given a hospital order for killing his wife

A man who killed his wife while suffering a psychotic episode has been given an indefinite hospital stay.

Accountant Darryl Bowen, 43, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Alison Bowen, 41, at their home in the Kingswood area of ​​Bristol in November 2023.

Sentencing him at Bristol Crown Court, Judge Julian Lambert said Bowen, who was suffering from work-related stress, was “laboring under the false belief that the world was coming to an end” when he attacked his wife.

Bowen’s defense attorney said he experienced “bewilderment” at what he did.

He will not be released without the permission of the Ministry of Justice or a court.

The judge described Mrs Bowen as a “wonderful daughter, beloved sister and a kind and devoted wife” who was “loving and caring”.

“It’s hard for me to describe the epic depth of the tragedy in this case,” he said.

“This was the ultimate betrayal of your wife.

“It is a struggle to understand how the mind of a husband and a devout churchman became so warped that he could have done this.

“The origin of such a disturbance is beyond my powers of understanding, but there is no doubt that you have been deeply deceived and very ill.

“You stay sick and recovery is uncertain,” he said.

He added that psychiatrists who examined Bowen agreed he suffered from a mental illness, possibly caused by “significant” stress at work.

Andrew Langdon KC, prosecuting, told the court Bowen had previously had a psychiatric episode and spent time in hospital in 2004, but was released from the mental health team in 2008 after becoming symptom-free.

In August 2023, he contacted his family doctor because of stress at work.

Then, the day before Ms Bowen’s death, he was seen acting in a “bizarre and disturbed” manner in a restaurant.

Mr Langdon said Bowen fatally stabbed his wife with a kitchen knife on November 20 after she asked to call his pastor when he tried to cut the wiring in their home.

Mr Langdon read a personal victim impact statement on behalf of Ms Bowen’s sister, describing how she ran a home education center which helped many families.

“Alison is missed by so many people,” the statement added.

Charles Row KC, representing Bowen, said his client was a man of previously good character who was dealing with “bewilderment” at what he had done.