A TOP London banker has been jailed for eight years for strangling his wife in a row over her extra-marital affairs. Neil Ellerbeck was convicted of Katherine Ellerbeck’s manslaughter at the couple’s home

By Mike Brooke

A TOP banker at London's Canary Wharf has been jailed today (Wed) for eight years for strangling his wife during a row over her extra-marital affairs.

Neil Ellerbeck (pictured) was also ordered to pay �67,000 court costs before January 4.

The 46-year-old financier was found guilty by an Old Bailey jury yesterday of Katherine Ellerbeck's manslaughter at the couple's north London home.

Police were called to the house by ambulance paramedics on November 14 last year where they found her body. She had been strangled, a post mortem found.

The mother-of-two had more than one extra-marital affair, the trial was told. Her husband secretly taped her phone conversations as proof.

She finally asked for a divorce when Ellerbeck strangled her during a row.

He called 999 and claimed he had arrived home to find his wife unconscious. He told the court he was unaware of her infidelity.

Det Ins Simon Pickford said today after the sentence: "Kate Ellerbeck was a lively and bubbly woman whose life was brought to a premature end when her husband Neil lost his temper.

"Ellerbeck was a controlling and jealous man whose marriage was falling apart. He secretly recorded 127 hours of his wife's conversations and scrutinised her mobile text messages. Both he and Kate were involved in affairs and this all culminated in the events last November."

Ellerbeck stood trial for murder, but was convicted of manslaughter after the jury accepted he did not mean to kill his wife.