Woman in suicide stand-off with police at Beachy Head after Ferrari-driving husband is found bludgeoned to death

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 3:01 PM on 16th August 2010

--Richard Challen discovered bludgeoned to death
--His wife Sally threatened to commit suicide off Beachy Head
--Neighbour: 'Challens split over his use of prostitutes'

A suicidal woman who was threatening to throw herself off Beachy Head allegedly told police she had bludgeoned her Ferrari-owning husband to death with a hammer.

The 56-year-old, who has been named as Sally Challen, was eventually talked down after a tense three-hour stand-off at the beauty spot which is also notorious as a suicide hotspot.

She allegedly killed her estranged husband, identified locally as Richard Challen, 61, at their former marital home in Claygate, Surrey, before driving 70 miles to the East Sussex site.

It is believed the couple were in the process of going through divorce proceedings and had split around a year ago. His body was discovered by officers on Sunday afternoon.

One neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'They separated about a year ago and she moved just around the corner. The rumour was that he was seeing prostitutes and that is why she left him.

'They have two sons, the older one lived with Richard and the younger one lived with her.

'She had bought this new house with money she inherited from her mum.'
He added that he believed the couple had been experiencing financial difficulties.

Mr Challen was a car enthusiast who owned a £60,000 Ferrari Berlinetta and was given a 51-week suspended sentence in 2006 for fraud.

He told insurers he had been involved in a hit-and-run accident, but in fact had crashed the sports car while racing in Belgium.

Teams of police officers and chaplains were scrambled to the top of the 530ft cliff after Mrs Challen threatened to kill herself.

She was eventually escorted to safety from the cliff-edge before being arrested on suspicion of murder.

A murder investigation was launched by Surrey Police after they were called to the large, four-bedroom detached property in Ruxley Ridge just after 1pm yesterday and discovered the body.

Teams of forensic officers are searching the crime scene, which is on the same street where Rolling Stones rocker Ronnie Wood lives, for clues about the death.

A post-mortem examination to establish how Mr Challen died is scheduled to take place at the Royal Surrey County Hospital.

A spokesman for Surrey Police said: 'Surrey Police has launched a murder investigation after the body of a man was found at a property in Claygate.

'The man, aged in his 60s, was found by officers at an address in Ruxley Ridge, Claygate, shortly after 1pm on Sunday.

'A 56 year-old woman from Claygate has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody.'

Police negotiators were called to Beachy Head yesterday afternoon after receiving reports that Mrs Challen, was heading there.

They found her car in a car park at the notorious suicide spot, before finding her on the cliff face.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: 'Officers and chaplains managed to escort a 56-year-old Surrey woman to safety from the cliff edge at Beachy Head, after talking to her for more than three hours on Sunday afternoon.

'Officers had gone to the area after a report that the woman might be making her way there, and found her car parked nearby.

'The woman, who was unhurt, was detained for a welfare assessment.'

Surrey Police officers arrested Mrs Challen at Eastbourne custody centre before she was taken back to Surrey for interview.

Detectives are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

Mr Challen set up Westlake Garages in Richmond, Surrey, in 1986, before selling it in 2008.

The new owner of Westlake Garages, Paul Arulndran, 37, described Mr Challen as 'a good bloke'.

'He said he and his wife had split up around a year ago and they were going through the process of a divorce,' he said.

'They were not living together.

'I bought the business off him in 2008 because he said he was retiring. He still used to come in regularly though to get his mail and check how things were going.

'He was a very, very nice guy and very straightforward. I am in complete shock.'

Mr Arulndran said Mr Challen last visited the garage a month ago.

A friend of the couple, who did not wish to be named, said: 'I had known them for about 20 years. It's too early to say much, it's all still sinking in, we're just in shock now.'

'We lost touch over the last couple of years. They used to visit us and came to our house for dinner. I knew they weren't getting along, I knew they had separated, but I didn't expect that sort of thing to happen.

'We knew them on a social level, we had dinner with them at their house or our house. My daughter knew their children, but they weren't close friends, it was just through us.

'She was extremely lonely after she moved, but I had heard they were possibly getting back together again so I can only assume something went terribly wrong.'

From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1303481/Woman-suicide-stand-Beachy-Head-husband-bludgeoned-death.html