THE HUSBAND OF world-renowned classical pianist Natalia Strelchenko has been jailed for her murder.
John Martin was found guilty following a trial at Manchester Crown Court today and will serve a minimum sentence of 18 years.
Martin returned to their home in Newton Heath, Manchester on the night of Sunday 30 August last year.
Hearing her husband arriving, Strelchenko woke up a friend of the couple that was staying with the, as she was scared what Martin might do as he had been drinking.
Martin initially spoke to Natalia for a few minutes before starting to scream at her to get out of the house.
He then pushed her with such force that both of them fell down their stairs where he continued to punch her in the face and strangle her, screaming “I want to kill her”.
The police were called to the property and when they arrived they found Strelchenko with serious head and neck injuries.
Paramedics attempted to revive her but she died shortly thereafter at the scene.
A post-mortem found that she died from head and neck injuries.
Speaking on behalf of Strelchenko’s family today, her sister Julia Strelchenko said:
“Natalia was much loved by all her family and friends and Natalia was a loving mother to her son. She was extremely talented with much life ahead of her.
“She was taken from us in August in completely unnecessary circumstances. We cannot express how devastated we are that her life has been stolen from her. We miss Natalia every minute of every day.
Today her killer has been sentenced, and justice has been served.
Natalia Strelchenko also went by the surname of Strelle and was regarded as a prodigy on her instrument.
Born in 1976, she spent her early years between Russia and Norway and by the age of 12 had played piano with the St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra.
Her success continued into adulthood and she played at a number of prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall in New York and Wigmore Hall in London.
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