THE jury in a murder trial has been discharged after failing to agree whether a man deliberately killed his wife during a sex game.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how Norman Heaton, 42, strangled mother-of-three Jacqueline Heaton, 32, before hiding her body under the stairs at their home in Anderson Street, South Shields, South Tyneside.

They had moved there from Crook, County Durham.

Mr Heaton told police they had been playing an asphyxiation game, but that the neck grip had been too tight and accidentally killed her.

He denied murder throughout the trial, but the prosecution claimed Mr Heaton purposely strangled his wife.

After ten hours of deliberation, the jury of ten men and two women failed to decide.

The judge, Mr Justice Pitchers, discharged the jury from further considerations and the case will go back before Newcastle Crown Court in seven days to decide if Mr Heaton will face a retrial.

The court heard how the couple had been going to separate on the day of her death, but that during a last passionate session together, Mrs Heaton was strangled with a length of washing line during a sex game.

Mr Heaton said the game had been interrupted by their two-year-old son. He ushered the child downstairs and returned to find his wife dead.

He said he then panicked and tried to revive her, before asking a neighbour to take care of their son, hid the body in a cupboard under the stairs and fled to County Durham.