'Dream killer' cleared of wife's murderA man who fatally strangled his wife during a nightmare about an intruder has walked free from court on Friday after he was acquitted of her murder. Brian Thomas, 59, was released from Swansea Crown Court Swansea Crown Court is a Crown Court in Swansea, Wales. It is located at the Law Courts on St. Helens Road. This court deals with first tier criminals. External links
Thomas admitted killing his wife Christine, 57, while they spent a night on a car park in west Wales in July 2008, but blamed his rare sleep disorder Sleep disorder Any condition that interferes with sleep. At least 84 have been identified, according to the American Sleep Disorders Association. Mentioned in: Insomnia, Night Terrors for the attack. The judge described Thomas as a "decent man and devoted husband" who legally bore no responsibility for killing his wife -- to whom he had been married to for 40 years. Relatives celebrated the acquittal as Thomas left the courthouse . "Family and friends are truly delighted by the outcome today. They were a loving couple and always like that together ," said Raymond Thomas -- Brian's brother. Sleep experts had earlier told the court that Thomas' sleep disorder left him unable to control his actions -- a term described as "automatism automatism Method of painting or drawing in which conscious control over the movement of the hand is suppressed so that the subconscious mind may take over. For some Abstract Expressionists, such as Jackson Pollock, the automatic process encompassed the entire process of ." The jury was told there are two types of automatism -- insane automatism and non-insane automatism -- and they could reach only two verdicts: not guilty or not guilty by reason of insanity not guilty by reason of insanity n. plea in court of a person charged with a crime who admits the criminal act, but whose attorney claims he/she was so mentally disturbed at the time of the crime that he/she lacked the capacity to have intended to commit a crime. . The case was dismissed after the prosecution said it was no longer seeking a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity and there would be no purpose in sending Thomas to a psychiatric hospital. "Any case involving the death of an individual caused by another always has been and always will be investigated and examined with the utmost vigour by Dyfed-Powys Police. The tragic death of Christine Thomas was no exception," said Detective Chief Inspector Richard Evans. "The decision to charge Thomas with murder was taken after very careful consideration of the evidence available at the time, and included seeking the advice of the Crime Prosecution Service, and Queen?s Counsel," he added. The jury heard that Thomas' sleep disorder left him unable to control his actions, a term described as "automatism." 
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