Samantha Jones: British woman accused of stabbing husband to death in Malaysia

62-year-old faces death penalty after allegedly knifing spouse during argument

A British woman could be facing the death penalty in Malaysia after she was arrested on suspicion of murdering her husband.

Samantha Jones, 62, from Somerset, is charged with stabbing to death spouse John at their home on the tropical holiday island of Langkawi.

Detectives allege she repeatedly knifed the former firefighter, also 62, after an argument in the early hours of Thursday morning.

“She confessed that she stabbed her husband in the chest during a heated argument but this is still under investigation,” police chief Mohamad Iqbal told the Associated Press news agency.

Officers went to the couple’s bungalow at 2.30am following calls from neighbours.

They are understood to have arrested Ms Jones, a retired insurance clerk, after finding Mr Jones dead in the bedroom. She has been remanded in custody and will appear at Alor Setar High Court on Tuesday.

The pair had lived on the island for 11 years after being granted residency under the country’s “My Second Home” programme.

Murder in Malaysia carries a mandatory death sentence by hanging at present but the government has previously announced proposals to abolish capital punishment.

Authorities said all executions would be put on hold pending a final decision on potential changes to the law.

A spokesman with the UK Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man following his death in Malaysia, and are in contact with the Malaysian authorities.”