Husband who murdered his wife with a pillow is set to move to open prison - despite never revealing where he hid her body

A husband who killed his wife and was one of the rare successful prosecutions in the UK where a body has never been found has been recommended for a move to an open prison.

David Gibson was jailed for life in 2004 for smothering wife Belinda,32,on the kitchen floor at their home in Southampton as she begged for mercy as his dad Leslie,66,held her down.

The court case attracted national attention as the guilty verdict defied the odds as there was no physical evidence of murder as Belinda’s body has never been found.

The Parole Board took evidence from Gibson,now 53,at his second appeal hearing on the 8th August 2024,who told them by video-link from his prison that he hoped to be transferred to open conditions.

David Gibson and his father Leslie Gibson conspired together to remove Belinda's body 

The jury was told the plan was resurrected a year later and executed by Gibson,a garage worker and his father.

After murdering his wife,David Gibson got rid of her jewellery,clothing,handphone,her dog and changed the locks on their house.

However,he used her mobile to send SMS giving the impression she was alive and well.

The court was told that David Gibson never reported his wife was missing and police only became aware when a neighbour contacted them with their concerns.

Hampshire police very quickly became suspicious of Gibson and his father,but could not get enough evidence to prosecute. It took two years of detective work to amass enough to charge them.

In July 2004 at Winchester Crown Court,after a six week trial,David Gibson and his father Leslie were found guilty of murder.

After the jury returned a guilty verdict David Gibson said: ‘I did not kill my wife,I am not having this.’

He then had to be restrained by security guards as he tried to leave the dock.

Mrs Gibson’s family said in a statement afterwards: ‘Belinda was a good and loving mother,daughter,sister,granddaughter and auntie.

‘She really deserved more from her short life but at least we can now say we have justice for her.’

Following the convictions,in the time needed to set minimum terms for the Gibsons,the case took an extraordinary turn.

Three days after being found guilty,David Gibson sensationally confessed to dumping his wife’s body in the Solent.

He made the admission to murder squad detectives and said the body was on the Isle of Wight side heading towards the Needles.

But crucially,the martial arts instructor still denied killing his wife. Despite the admission,Belinda’s body was never found.

Mr Justice Silber ordered David Gibson to serve a minimum of 18 years 9 months before being considered for parole. Leslie was given a minimum tariff of ten years nine months.

The judge said:’I regard the extent and nature of this planning to be a seriously aggravating feature in this case.

‘A second aggravating feature is that you deprived Belinda Gibson’s family of the possibility of having a proper burial for her. Indeed her body has never been found.’

The man leading the inquiry,then Det Insp Jason Hogg,told the Southern Daily Echo in 2008: ‘It is one of very few cases nationally that has seen a conviction without a body.’

He added: ‘He thought he had committed the perfect murder. He had done a lot of research and planned how it was going to work.

‘I didn’t believe a word David Gibson said from the beginning. He was a liar,someone who told lies to people in his day-to-day life. His motive,I think,was that he didn’t want to be with her anymore.

‘Infuriatingly I don’t think Belinda’s family will ever get to know exactly what happened to her or where her body was dumped.’

MailOnline can also reveal that Leslie Gibson was recommended for parole in 2018. It is not known whether he is still alive.