Man jailed for murder of ex-wife in Norwich
Tania Williams was found with fatally injured yards from her home in Catherine Gardens
Last updated 25th Sep 2026
A man who killed his ex-wife in Norwich has been jailed for life.
Tania Williams, 49, was found with fatal neck injuries yards from her home in Catherine Gardens, on 17 January 2026.
At Norwich Crown Court today (25 September), Ray Williams, 61, was sentenced after a jury unanimously found him guilty of murder following a 17-day trial.
The judge imposed a mandatory life sentence, ruling Williams must serve a minimum of 27 years in prison.
In a statement read to the court, Tania's family said: “We never imagined that one day we would receive a call telling us that Tania had been murdered. Even now, we struggle to accept that she is no longer here with us and that her life was taken in such a devastating way.”
They added: “The people we were before that phone call feel different from who we are now. Something in our family has changed forever, and there will always be an emptiness where Tania should be.”
The court heard how Williams continued to keep tabs on Tania following the breakdown of their 26-year marriage after moving out of the family home in September 2025.
On the night of the murder, CCTV footage showed Williams following Tania around a number of venues in Norwich before both left Revolucion de Cuba on Queen Street.
Footage captured Tania attempting to distance herself from Williams before he turned his phone off and ran to his vehicle.
While Tania travelled towards her home by bus, CCTV showed a vehicle matching Williams' white Vauxhall Corsa parked nearby. She was attacked and murdered just minutes later, only yards from her home.
Investigators recovered Tania's belongings and a craft blade from a blood stained grassed area close to her property.
Blood matching Tania’s was later found on the driver's window and in several locations inside Williams’ car, which had been moved to his home address in Dereham Road.
Further CCTV evidence showed Williams discarding his watch down a drain and making a number of journeys on foot. Searches of areas he visited led officers to recover knife packaging hidden on a roof later found to have Tania’s blood on it.
Williams was also captured on CCTV changing his clothing multiple times after the murder. The clothes he was wearing at the time of the attack were never recovered.
He was arrested outside his home in Dereham Road at 2.43am on 18 January 2026.
Passing sentence Judge Anthony Bate described Williams as "an angry and jealous man" who carried out a "sudden, wicked act of violence" because he "could not accept the relationship was over and Tania was going her own way."
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Sam Pontin said:
“Today is about Tania and the family she leaves behind.
“Nothing can undo the pain they have suffered or bring Tania back, but we hope this sentence provides some measure of justice for those who loved her.
“Williams continued to monitor and follow Tania following the breakdown of their relationship, culminating in this brutal attack.
“This was a complex investigation with no direct eyewitnesses and required officers to piece together significant amounts of CCTV, forensic and digital evidence to establish exactly what happened that night.
“I would like to thank Tania's family for the strength and dignity they have shown throughout this investigation and trial.”