William Collis

Name and identities

William Collis (also known as John Ryder)

Background

William Collis was a 60-year-old teacher. He had been in a relationship with Anne Farrell, who he had rekindled a romance with on the Friends Reunited website. Collis and Anne Farrell had known each other since they were 17 and had been previously engaged.

Georgina Ryder was Collis’s estranged wife and the mother of his five children.

Collis of The Paddocks, Welwyn Garden City, had walked out of his marriage in 2004. In the period after strangling his wife, he moved in with his mistress in Hertfordshire.

In January 2005, Georgina Ryder told Collis she had terminal breast cancer, which he later found out was not life-threatening. A year later, her health deteriorated and she again told him she did not have long to live. Collis said he believed her again and moved back in to look after her but continued his relationship with Anne Farrell.

The offence

William Collis strangled Georgina Ryder, the mother of his five children.

The court heard that the death went undetected until family members reported her missing in October. Collis strangled her after claiming she had hit him with a car steering lock on 15 July at their home in Merseyside in Spinney Close.

After strangling his wife, Collis told family and friends that the pair had patched up their relationship and had gone travelling around Europe in a camper, while he had driven to Scotland and dumped her body in a loch.

The jury heard that Collis drove Georgina Ryder’s body more than 300 miles to a remote Scottish loch, where it was dumped wrapped in a sleeping bag. Collis directed police to her body near the shores of Loch Ariel in Argyll.

Investigation

The jury heard that Georgina Ryder’s death went undetected until family members reported her missing in October.

Collis confessed to the killing and directed police to Georgina Ryder’s body near the shores of Loch Ariel in Argyll.

Subsequent inquiries revealed that Collis had taken £12,000 of Georgina Ryder’s savings.

Arrest

Collis was arrested after a nationwide manhunt as he was trying to board a ferry to Ireland at a port in south Wales.

Trial

The trial took place at Preston Crown Court. The court heard that Collis denied murdering his wife, and at trial maintained he had acted in self defence after Georgina Ryder had attacked him with a car steering lock in the garage of their home in Spinney Close, Merseyside.

The jury was told that the couple had a turbulent and violent 31-year marriage, with Collis being attacked by Mrs Ryder on occasions.

The jury heard that within six weeks he moved in with his former lover, Anne Farrell.

The jury found William Collis guilty of murdering his estranged wife.

Judge Anthony Russell made sentencing remarks at court:

"This is a wicked crime. Your wife did not deserve to have her life removed in the garage at her home. You could have walked away from the situation." He added that the manner in which her body was disposed of was a "seriously aggravating factor".

Sentencing

William Collis was jailed for life.

He was ordered to serve a minimum of 17 years in prison before being eligible for parole.

The sentence was imposed on August 2, 2007.

Appeals

No appeal information was provided.

Outcome

William Collis was convicted and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 17 years before being eligible for parole.

Other details

Collis had taken an IT teaching job at Sherrardswood Independent School in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, only days after strangling his wife.

A few days after killing his wife, Collis moved in with his mistress in Hertfordshire. The jury heard that he had moved to live with Anne Farrell in The Paddocks, Welwyn Garden City.

Collis formed a relationship with Welwyn Garden City woman Anne Farrell in 2004.

Collis started work as head of IT at the private school near Welwyn village in the autumn term of 2006, but was dismissed after failing to turn up for work in October.

One of Collis and Georgina Ryder’s five children told police her mother was missing in October.