Former police officer attempted suicide after assaulting wife in Rugby - The Rugby Observer

Former police officer attempted suicide after assaulting wife in Rugby

Rugby Editorial 18th Mar, 2016 Updated: 27th Oct, 2016   0

A FORMER Latvian police officer tried to kill himself when he was overcome with remorse after assaulting his estranged wife in her Rugby home.

And Warwick Crown Court heard that Imants Straupe would have died without the medical attention he received after the police turned up to arrest him.

The 43 year-old, of Alexander Road, Rugby, was jailed for six months after pleading guilty to assaulting his wife Ilze Straupe causing her actual bodily harm.

But he was told he would be freed almost immediately because of the time he had already served in custody on remand.




Prosecutor Andrew Baker said the couple were Russian-speaking Latvians who had lived with their two children at a flat in Oliver Street.

But there were elements of controlling behaviour by Straupe towards his wife which included monitoring her internet access.


He also had a gambling habit on which he spent much of their household money, as well as getting hold of some of his wife’s personal funds to gamble away.

Eventually she had had enough, and they split up in October last year, with Ilze remaining in Oliver Street with the children, and Straupe moving out.

But in November Straupe turned up, let himself in and locked the door behind him before arguing with his 43-year-old wife about her internet contact.

He then punched her to the face, ‘causing blood to spread like a fountain from her nose.’

Straupe then pushed her down on the sofa and pinned her down, putting his hand over her mouth and pushing his fingers into her mouth as she screamed for help.

He then produced a folding pocket knife, on which the blade was closed, and they went into the kitchen where the argument continued until Ilze managed to get out and run to a neighbour.

The police were called, and when officers arrived at the flat they found the door had been partly jammed shut, but managed to force it open and found Straupe inside – having tried to kill himself with the knife.

Ian Speed, defending, said: “I was a bit concerned about the attempt on his life, but I would submit you can see no better demonstration of remorse than for him to try to take his own life in such a dramatic way when he looked back and thought ‘What have I done?’ He’s very remorseful.”

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