By BRUCE McKAIN,

Law Correspondent

A HUSBAND who rained 35 blows on his wife's head in a frenzied hammer

attack carried a Bible in court yesterday as he was jailed for nine

years.

Keith Turner, 42, was originally charged with the murder of his

40-year-old wife, June, but the Crown accepted his guilty plea to a

reduced charge of culpable homicide because drugs he had been prescribed

might have affected his mental state.

Mr Ronald Mackay, QC, Advocate-depute, told the High Court in

Edinburgh that the Turners had been married for more than 20 years and

had two sons, aged 20 and 18.

The marriage became particularly unhappy in the summer of 1988 and Mrs

Turner, an auxiliary teacher, complained to friends and relatives about

her husband's temper and threats of violence.

Matters came to a head during a holiday in the US last April and when

she returned to Scotland Mrs Turner left her husband and went to live in

Lintburn Street, Galashiels.

She arrived home from work on June 28, but when a woman friend called

to take her to a fancy dress parade that night there was no answer.

Colleagues became concerned the following day when she did not arrive

at work. When they went to the house and looked through the letterbox,

they saw bloodstains on the hallway walls.

Mr Mackay said Mrs Turner was found to have suffered 35 blows to the

head with a hammer and it was thought that the first blow from behind

would have knocked her unconscious.

Mr Mackay told the court that at the time Turner had been prescribed

drugs for depression and a heart condition. Medical experts said the

drugs could have side effects in some cases and it was not possible to

discount the possibility that Turner had been under some degree of

mental impairment at the time of the assault.

Mr Edward Targowski, defence counsel, said that after the couple

separated, Turner, of Meigle Street, Galashiels, was anxious for a

reconciliation and was working towards that.

Although there could be no criticism of the doctors who prescribed the

various drugs, there was the chance that they had upset his mind. In

addition, Turner had taken some vodka on the day of the meeting.

On the night of the killing, he went to see his wife, they had a cup

of tea, and he put his arm round her with no complaint.

''America was then mentioned and his last recollection is an argument

and his wife moving towards the door. The effect of the drugs and

alcohol was such that he cannot remember what happened after she ushered

him to the door.''

Lord Caplan told Turner, a first offender, that it was a tragic case.

He accepted that some part at least had been played by drugs and drink,

but at the end of the day an innocent woman had been brutally killed.