Police find human remains in search for body of Kate Prout
Discovery made during woodland dig after prison cell confession of guilt by woman's husband, Adrian Prout
Police have been recovering what they believe to be the body of the retired teacher Kate Prout, four years after she was murdered by her husband, Adrian.
The remains were found exactly a week on from Adrian Prout's prison cell confession that he killed his wife and hid her body in woodland at the farm where they used to live.
Police hope the find will bring some sort of peace to Mrs Prout's family, who have repeatedly appealed for Prout to tell them where he hid her body so that she can have a proper burial.
Prout, a millionaire farmer, was jailed last year for murdering Mrs Prout but continued to protest his innocence until he failed a lie detector test organised by his supporters who believed he had been a victim of a miscarriage of justice.
He confessed first to his fiancee, Debbie Garlick, who has a child by him, and then to police who visited him in prison.
Last Friday he was taken by detectives back to the Redhill Farm in Redmarley, Gloucestershire, and pointed out a spot of around 200 square metres in woodland where he said the body was buried.
A painstaking operation involving two teams of forensic archaeologists, body search dogs, ground-penetrating radar, mechanical diggers and outside consultants was launched on Monday.
The remains were finally found at lunchtime on Thursday.
DS Simon Atkinson of Gloucestershire police, who has been leading the search, said: "We have found human remains close to the location Adrian Prout identified as the place he buried his wife.
"No formal identification has taken place. However, we have informed Kate's family of recent developments. I hope this will mark the final chapter of these harrowing even! ts for K ate's family.
"We have been searching for nearly four days, and that perhaps gives you an indication of just how tough it has been.
"Adrian Prout has not been able to give us a precise location and that's why it has taken so long, but it's within the area he indicated."
Atkinson said officers were aiming to remove the remains from the ground on Thursday evening.
Garlick declined to talk about how the discovery made her feel or her future with Prout.
She said: "All that matters now is for Kate's loved ones to hopefully find the closure they need and deserve.
"Their pain is uppermost in my thoughts following today's find, as they have been since last week when Adrian finally admitted to me he had killed Kate.
"Now we know he fooled not only them but me, his own family and mine too by pretending he wasn't involved in her death, I can only say sorry to them for the anguish he has put us all through."
Garlick, who first met Prout before he was charged with his wife's murder, refused to say if she was standing by him.
She said: "My situation is irrelevant at the moment, today of all days, following Kate's discovery. Today isn't about my feelings, it's all about Kate and her family's grief which must be respected."
Prout, 49, was convicted at Bristol crown court last year of murdering his 55-year-old wife. The pair were involved in an acrimonious divorce when she vanished in November 2007.
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