Jailed: Designer who murdered fiancee after she threatened to leave over his cross-dressing

A ‘controlling’ designer who battered his fiancee to death when she threatened to leave him over his cross-dressing has been sentenced to life behind bars.

Roderick Deakin-White, 38, repeatedly hit Amy Parsons, 35, over the head with a metal bar while she was showering in the flat they shared in Whitechapel, east London.

Deakin-White left his partner bleeding to death with ‘horrific’ head, face and brain injuries after the attack on April 25.

Ms Parsons had earlier told ‘coercive’ Deakin-White she was leaving him because of his cross-dressing habit, which included having an alter-ego called ‘Jane’.

A murder jury had heard Deakin-White often wanted to cross-dress during sex, which led Ms Parsons to end their eight-year relationship.

Prosecutors told the court Deakin-White became angry and jealous after Ms Parsons began a relationship with colleague James Saunders a few weeks before the killing.

After attacking his partner as she showered with a metal ‘chin up’ bar, Deakin-White fled the flat before confessing to a friend, who persuaded him to hand himself in.

Emergency services broke into Ms Parsons’ flat and found her naked body covered in blood slumped on the shower floor.

A post-mortem examination found she suffered major fractures to her head and face and died of a traumatic brain injury.

In interviews with police, Deakin-White admitted attacking her with a metal bar but denied murder, claiming it was an “accident”.

Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Darren Jones said: “Amy Parsons paid the ultimate price because of Deakin-White’s controlling, selfish and violent nature.

“He relied on Amy’s financial support and I believe he could not stand the fact that she was moving on and refused to be taken advantage of any more.

“Amy had become aware of what kind of person he was and was beginning to take steps to leave Deakin-White.

“These steps included a new relationship, free from Deakin-White’s coercive and abusive behaviour.

“Because of this Deakin-White launched a vicious and brutal attack on Amy, without warning and in her own home, where she should have been safe and secure.”