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A man who murdered his pregnant wife more than 25 years ago is facing fresh charges related to her death.
Debbie Griggs was 34 and pregnant when she was reported missing from her home in Cross Road, Deal, by her husband Andrew Griggs in May 1999.
Though he denied being responsible for her disappearance, he was found guilty of murder and jailed for life in October 2019 following a review by cold case detectives from Kent Police.
Three years later Debbie’s remains were found buried in the garden of a residential property in Dorset, more than 200 miles away.
Acting on fresh information, a team of about 20 investigators from Kent Police made the discovery in a barrel-like container in the grounds of the home, which had belonged to her husband.
Kent Police revealed today that Griggs has now been charged with perverting the course of justice and obstructing a coroner in the execution of their duty.
The 62-year-old is due to appear at Medway Magistrates’ Court on February 13.
It is the latest development in a tragic tale now in its 27th year.
It began when Debbie was reported missing from the family home in Cross Road, Deal, in May 1999.
Days later her car – a white Peugeot 309 – was found abandoned little more than a mile away.
Her blood was recovered from the vehicle, but no further trace of her was found. Her bank accounts sat dormant and she did not interact with the health service or social security.
It left detectives in the initial investigation struggling to determine if Debbie could still be alive.
It was not until 2019 that Griggs – who had remarried and moved to Dorset – was charged and put on trial accused of murdering his wife and disposing of her body.
The decision to finally bring charges was the result of evolving case law in cases where the body of the deceased had not been found, and the ‘proof of life’ investigations which cold case detectives used to show that there was overwhelming evidence that Debbie was not alive.
At the trial, prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC argued that the concealing of the whereabouts of Debbie’s body was "the most aggravating factor" of the case.
A jury at Canterbury Crown Court found Griggs guilty in October 2019, with a judge accusing the sailor of dumping Debbie's body at sea.
Griggs attempted to overturn his conviction, but his appeal was rejected in July of 2022.
Just five months later, Debbie’s remains were found buried in the garden of the Dorset home he had moved to with their three boys just two years after she disappeared.