A spiritualist minister has been jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering his TV make-up artist wife.

David Chenery-Wickens killed 48-year-old Diane in January last year and dumped her body in woodland after she began to unravel his web of sexual and financial lies.

The 52-year-old was jailed for life today at Lewes Crown Court and told he would serve a minimum of 18 years.

On the day she was murdered Mrs Chenery-Wickens found out her husband had been cheating on her and had also dialled a gay chatline, the court heard.

Jurors convicted serial adulterer Chenery-Wickens, of Duddleswell, near Uckfield, of murder following a trial lasting more than a month.

Sentencing him Judge Justice Cooke said: “You have been convicted of the murder of your wife Diane. The evidence shows she loved you but you deceived her over many years.”

He said Chenery-Wickens had told “the most preposterous lies to this jury and this court”.

He said: “You told lie after lie to the police making Diane out to be promiscuous, deceitful, manipulative and scheming.

“You put her family through the agonies of not knowing if she was alive or dead until, ultimately, their worst fears were realised.”

Mrs Chenery-Wickens’ credits included the BBC’s Dead Ringers, The League Of Gentlemen and Casualty.

She won an Emmy in 2000 for Arabian Nights and received a Bafta nomination for Dead Ringers three years later.