A knife attacker who stabbed and slashed two pensioners in their Wolverhampton home will not take to the stand to give evidence, a court heard.

Lawyers for David Brown are not offering any evidence in his trial for the attempted murder of Evelyn Leedham, 74, and her 77-year-old husband Reg.

Barristers were expected to make their closing speeches today at Wolverhampton Crown Court, which has heard how 39-year-old Brown slashed Mrs Leedham in the face, stabbed her in the stomach and wrist after asking her for £130.

Brown initially told detectives he had tried to help the couple after disturbing an intruder who had attacked the pair on December 4.

But he now admits being the man who wielded the knife in their flat, on the same floor as his in St Joseph’s Court, Merry Hill.

Mrs Leedham needed seven hours of emergency surgery at New Cross Hospital and has been left with a severely clawed left hand as a result of the attack, while her husband required a blood transfusion and has lost much of the use of his right hand, the court heard.

Brown has denied attempted murder and wounding the pair with intent.

In his interview with detectives, read to the court yesterday, he told how he had noticed the Leedhams’ door was open and went in to find a man struggling with Evelyn.

“I said ‘What’s going on?’.

“He came at me, and I’m scared of knives. I thought he was going to use the knife on me. I told him to give me the knife and go.”

Brown told detectives he was covered in the couple’s blood “because I was helping them”. He claimed he had given Mrs Leedham a cup of water while they waited for an ambulance. He also said he put quilts over them. “I have not caused harm to either of them,” he told police. “I’m getting the blame for this other person. I love those people. They were really nice people. I would never have harmed a hair on their head.”

Earlier, Mr Peter Grieves-Smith, prosecuting, told the jury: “He does not challenge that he was the person who attacked them. He chose two elderly and frail individuals and targeted their wrists with obvious veins that we all know can and will bleed profusely.

“He left them on the floor to die. He intended to kill them. There is no evidence that anything was taken from the flat, or that there was an argument.”

The jury was being sent out to consider a verdict today.