Trial of senior police officer accused of murdering his wife

A Police Inspector found guilty of murdering his wife will be sentenced later.

43 year old Darren McKie strangled his wife Leanne, who was also a detective with the Greater Manchester Force, last September.

A court heard how the couple had been arguing over their mounting debts.

Leanne's body was later found in a lake in Poynton.

• WATCH: How a police officer became a murderer

A Greater Manchester police inspector has been found guilty of murdering his detective wife, and dumping her body in a lake near their home in Cheshire.

Chester Crown Court heard Darren McKie strangled wife Leanne, who served with the same force, when she found out he'd applied for a loan in her name.

He denied killing her until nine days into his trial when he admitted to the lesser crime of manslaughter.

Her parents say they've lost their beautiful daughter and their grandchildren their mummy.

Tim Scott reports:

The police officer who denied murdering his detective wife after a row over huge debts and dumping her body in a lake.

A police inspector has been found guilty of murdering his wife and dumping her body in a Cheshire lake

Darren McKie had admitted the manslaughter of his wife Leanne, but had denied murder.

She was a detective with Greater Manchester Police.

Chester Crown Court heard she was killed after Leanne had challenged him over trying to use her passport to secure a loan.

McKie had got the couple into huge debt.

The trial of a police inspector accused of murdering his wife has been hearing the couple had debts of more than £100,000. Darren McKie denies murdering Leanne McKie who was a Detective Constable with Greater Manchester Police. Her body was found in a lake in Cheshire. Amy Welch reports from Chester Crown Court.

The jury was told Darren McKie - the senior police officer accused of murdering his wife - had sent his and his wife's passport and proof of earnings to loan company Fluent Finance to apply for a loan of £54,000 and on the day of her alleged murder Mrs McKie received a letter from the firm.

At 11.20am on the day she died, she sent her husband a message which said:

The court heard he left Stretford police station, where he worked, just after 11.30am, although he had been due to finish work at 3pm.

Mrs McKie had been due to go into work for 3pm that day but never arrived.