Husband killed royal GP with axe then reported burglary, court toldTelegraph reportersThu, October 8, 2026 at 1:05 PM UTC
Mr Cain is alleged to have murdered his wife at their family home in Norfolk on Saturday night
The husband of a GP for the Royal family killed her with an axe before telling police a burglar had broken in, a court has been told.
Mark Cain, 45, is alleged to have murdered Dr Hannah Terry, 45, at their family home in Fern Hill, Dersingham, Norfolk, on Saturday night.
During a hearing at King’s Lynn Crown Court on Thursday, it was heard that Dr Terry was “struck in the head with an axe and strangled”.
Steven Ball, prosecuting, said Mr Cain’s three children, aged 8, 11 and 13, had been upstairs and two other children, aged 8 and 10, had been “staying over for a sleepover”.
He also told the court that Mr Cain had called the police himself to report a “suspected burglary”.
The court heard that Mr Cain called the police himself - East Anglia News Service
“Police attended the house in the early hours to a report made by Mr Cain of a suspected burglary,” he said. “Mr Cain was seen to have superficial cuts.
“He informed police that he had been in a confrontation with an intruder downstairs while his wife was upstairs sleeping.
“Their boys, aged 8, 11, and 13, were also upstairs and boys aged 8 and 10 from another family were staying over on a sleepover.”
He said that the emergency services had attended and that Dr Terry, referred to by her married name Hannah Cain, had been found “unconscious and unresponsive”.
Mr Ball added that a post mortem had recorded that she had sustained “blunt force injuries to the head” and “neck injuries consistent with compression to the neck”.
A previous hearing at Norwich magistrates’ court heard that Dr Terry had been found bludgeoned and strangled to death in a bedroom at the home, which borders the Sandringham estate.
Mr Cain did not enter a plea when he appeared via video on Thursday from HMP Norwich.
A court artist’s sketch of Mr Cain, who appeared via videolink from HMP Norwich - PA Wire/Elizabeth Cook
He was remanded into custody for medical reports to be carried out on him before a plea and a potential trial preparation hearing on Dec 3.
Mr Justice Lickley told Mr Cain, who works for an energy efficiency company, that he would be assessed for medical reports before his next appearance.
The Fern Hill address is just over a mile from Sandringham House, one of the royal residences of the King and Queen.
Dr Terry was listed as a member of the practice team at Grimston Medical Centre. She served in a pool of doctors who were regularly on call for members of the Royal family.
A ‘caring and professional doctor’
According to the website of a business she ran called Norfolk Sky Aesthetics, Dr Terry had been a qualified doctor for more than 15 years and a GP for eight.
Dr Terry described herself as a “caring and professional doctor” who continued her work as a GP alongside her cosmetics business.
In a tribute shared via the police on Wednesday, her family said: “We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful Hannah. She was kind, generous and loving; a beloved mother, daughter, sister, auntie, daughter-in-law and friend.
“We are incredibly proud of the woman she was and of the great care she took of all her patients who knew her as Dr Terry.
“We would ask people to respect our privacy at this difficult time.”
Dr Terry’s family described her as ‘generous and loving’
Patients also left flowers and messages in tribute to Dr Terry outside the Grimston Medical Practice.
One card attached to a teddy bear on a bench read: “We are so shocked and saddened to hear such tragic news.
“Dr Hannah Terry, our GP. We are thinking of you, your family, your children, your friends and even more for all staff and colleagues at Grimston Medical Practice.
“You never rushed us and you listened to both of us. Nobody else will ever be able to replace a beautiful person and GP like you. Fly high Dr Terry, sleep well. Heaven has certainly gained an angel.”
Another message on flowers under a tree, said: “There are no words to express my sadness. Thinking of you and the boys. Thank you for being there when I needed help, RIP Hannah.”
Source: Entertainment