Wife on Trial for Husband’s Murder Claims Memory Loss

A woman accused of fatally stabbing her husband of 15 years while they were in bed informed the court that she “can’t remember” the event. Christine Kekkonen, aged 36, is currently standing trial at Bristol Crown Court, charged with the murder of Henri Kekkonen. The alleged incident occurred at their residence in Baltonsborough, Glastonbury, on May 9 of this year. Immediately following the event, the defendant sent a text message to her mother stating: “Please send the police here now, I’ve done something awful.” Mrs. Kekkonen, who has a documented history of mental illness, has pleaded not guilty to murder. She informed police that she frequently “dissociates” and therefore cannot recall the occurrences of that particular day. The jury was informed that the victim, a native of Finland, succumbed to a single stab wound to the neck at the location of the incident. Investigations revealed no indications of any other substantial injuries, nor were there signs of blunt force trauma or defensive wounds. Significant bloodstains were discovered on the bed shared by the couple at their bungalow situated on Dunford Terrace. Law enforcement officers retrieved a knife from the floor, positioned on the left side of the bed. On the day of the fatality, Mrs. Kekkonen sent text messages to her mother at approximately 16:20 BST, utilizing both her personal mobile device and subsequently her husband’s phone. Following the texts, she telephoned her mother, conveying: “I think I’ve killed him, I’ve stuck a knife in his neck.” During segments of her police interview presented to the jury, Mrs. Kekkonen responded with “no comment” to the majority of inquiries directed at her. However, she did inform officers: “The only thing I remember is going to the kitchen to smoke because that is the only place I am allowed to smoke.” Upon being taken into custody, Mrs. Kekkonen remarked: “I don’t deserve to be made comfortable considering what I’ve done.” She subsequently added: “I couldn’t help it.” Nevertheless, in her police interview, she stated that she did not recall making those particular comments. The defendant informed officers that if she fails to take her prescribed psychiatric medication, “I get very ill. I get blackouts and panic attacks”. She further stated that she could not recall whether she had consumed her medication on May 9. Mrs. Kekkonen explained that she frequently “dissociates”. She elaborated: “I’m not actually in control of myself. It feels like I can be physically present but my mind is not present if that makes sense.” “Sometimes I don’t remember a lot of the things and I get very scared when it happens,” she conveyed. “When I come to, I think I’m in the house that I grew up in.” The ongoing trial is anticipated to conclude within 10 days.