On the morning of September 5, 2025, the quiet Shropshire town of Newport was thrust into the national spotlight as Amy Pugh, a 34-year-old woman from Wolverhampton, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of her estranged husband, Kyle Pugh. The case, heard at Stafford Crown Court, has gripped the local community and beyond, not just for its tragic outcome but for the harrowing details of a relationship marked by violence, deception, and heartbreak.
According to reporting from NationalWorld and statements released by West Mercia Police, Amy Pugh was convicted of murdering 29-year-old Kyle Pugh at her home on Aston Drive, Newport, on March 22, 2022. The court heard that the couple, separated at the time, had a long history of volatile and violent altercations. Judge Kristina Montgomery described their relationship as "toxic," noting that violence had become a grim norm between the two. In the judge's words, "As your relationship deteriorated the boundaries between victim and aggressor blurred."
The events of that fateful night began when Kyle visited Amy's home. Despite being in a new relationship, Kyle agreed to meet Amy, who, according to the court, was still fixated on rekindling their marriage. Alcohol was introduced, and unresolved tensions quickly surfaced. The argument that followed centered on "post-separation relationships," a topic that had long been a source of friction between the two.
During the heated exchange, Kyle told Amy that his new girlfriend was pregnant—a claim later categorically denied by the girlfriend herself. This revelation, whether true or not, sparked a violent confrontation. Judge Montgomery recounted, "Instead of breaking that pattern by calling an end to the evening you chose to procure more alcohol to continue it." The situation escalated quickly. Amy struck Kyle, fracturing his nose and eye socket, before applying a chokehold or using her forearm to compress his neck. The force was so severe that it restricted blood flow to his brain, rendering him unconscious and causing cardiac arrest.
The aftermath of the assault was marked by a troubling delay in seeking help. Amy was aware of Kyle's injuries from 8:45pm but did not call emergency services until 9:04pm. Instead, she made a series of phone and video calls to her father, including a 20-minute conversation with a six-minute video call. Only after these calls did she dial 999. When paramedics arrived at approximately 9:15pm, Amy was still performing CPR in the kitchen, having told the call handler that Kyle had hanged himself.
Throughout the ordeal, Amy maintained her story, telling emergency services, police, and Kyle's family that he had taken his own life. She even claimed to have saved him from previous suicide attempts. Detective Inspector Jo Delahay, who led the investigation, commented, "Amy was very much aware of Kyle’s vulnerabilities and mental health history, and I believe she callously used this as part of her lies to protect herself by claiming he had taken his own life." The deception, as Judge Montgomery noted, took an "unimaginable toll" on Kyle's grieving family, who not only lost a loved one but also endured the pain of believing he had died by suicide.
The court also heard that Amy Pugh had a history of violence and arson. In October 2021, she set fire to Kyle’s workshop on Aston Drive, sending him videos of the blaze while singing "Ring of Fire." For this, she was convicted of arson in November 2024 and received a 19-month sentence, suspended for two years. The judge cited this previous conviction and Amy's actions in disposing of Kyle's phone after his death as aggravating factors in her sentencing.
Yet, the case was not without complexity. Judge Montgomery acknowledged mitigating factors, particularly Amy’s experience of domestic violence at Kyle’s hands. There were previous incidents where Kyle had broken Amy’s jaw and dragged her by her hair in front of witnesses. The judge observed, "I accept violence was introduced to your relationship by Kyle Pugh and I have heard of two serious incidents in which you were caused significant injury but there came a point by your own admission when you began to deploy your own verbal and physical aggression." Amy, the judge said, had "decided to fight fire with fire," a choice that ultimately proved fatal.
Despite these nuances, the court was clear in its condemnation of Amy’s actions on the night of Kyle's death. "Your reaction was not to summon the emergency services but to call your father. You spoke with him over a number of telephone and video calls before ringing 999. It was over the course of those calls that you must have decided to concoct a lie and stage a suicide and blame Kyle Pugh for his own injuries," Judge Montgomery stated. She further noted, "It is safe to say had you called for help sooner the likelihood of that saving Kyle’s life would have been greater."
The jury at Stafford Crown Court found Amy Pugh guilty of murder in June 2025. On September 5, she was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 14 years, minus 288 days already spent on remand. As the sentence was handed down, Detective Inspector Delahay remarked, "This has been a long and complex investigation and I am grateful for the sentence given to Amy Pugh today. While it won’t bring Kyle back, I hope it brings justice for his family, and for Kyle."
Kyle’s family, devastated by his loss, paid tribute to him as a "beloved son, brother, uncle and a friend to many." He was known locally as an MC and artist, and was the CEO and founder of Design Dudes UK. "Kyle was a visionary in design... he was a man of many talents. Our hearts are broken as Kyle was taken from us far too soon and he had so much more to give. He will be missed by so many," his family said in a statement.
The case has raised difficult questions about domestic violence, both male-on-female and female-on-male, and the tragic consequences that can result when such relationships spiral out of control. As Detective Inspector Delahay pointed out, "It is unusual to have a female convicted of a domestic murder, but I would like to reassure the public that West Mercia Police takes all reports of domestic abuse seriously, and we will investigate and get justice for victims."
In the end, the story of Amy and Kyle Pugh is a sobering reminder of the devastating impact of domestic violence and deception—not just on those directly involved, but on families and communities left to pick up the pieces.