Norbert Maiksner found guilty of murdering Frances Obiefuleh after Havant woman found dead at her home

Over the past two weeks, Norbert Maiksner, 49 from Timsbury Crescent, Havant, has been on trial accused of murdering Frances Obiefuleh. Her body was found in her home by police on April 17 last year.

The court heard how Maiksner was found walking along the M40 near High Wycombe that same morning, and when stopped by a traffic officer said: “You will need to call the police. I’ve killed my girlfriend.”

Thames Valley police arrived on the scene to arrest him and take him back to Portsmouth, while Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary went to Ms Obiefuleh’s home, where they found her body as well as a child who had been left in the home. With blue tape wrapped around her face and head, a post-mortem ruled Ms Obiefuleh’s cause of death as smothering, with an element of neck and/or chest compression.

Over the past two weeks, the jury has not seen Maiksner in court, with the defendant refusing to leave his cell in HMP Winchester. He has not appeared in Portsmouth Crown Court at any stage, and has neither spoken to his solicitors nor entered a plea - with Mr Justice Murray entering a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Maiksner also refused to answer any questions from police officers after his arrest, describing what had happened as a “bad dream” that he would soon “wake up” from.

The prosecution’s case was that Maiksner had not only confessed at the roadside of the M40 - and not retracted his admission - but that his DNA was found at the scene of Ms Obiefuleh’s murder, and blood splatters on his clothing at the time of his arrest had a DNA profile matching the Havant woman.

The jury retired just before 11am today (Friday, March 27), and took roughly three and a half hours to reach a verdict, finding Maiksner guilty of both murder and a second count of child cruelty.

Maiksner will be sentenced on Monday, March 30 at Winchester Crown Court.