A college manager accused of stabbing his lecturer lover to death sent text messages to other women declaring that he loved them, a court heard.

Sallie-Jo Cramman, aged 15, told how Stephen Dowds told the women he wanted to be with them, despite being in a relationship with her mother Mandy Finn. Dowds, a 49-year-old student services manager at the Paget Road campus of Wolverhampton College, is accused of stabbing Miss Finn 60 times and leaving her to bleed to death in the home they shared.

The alleged attack happened last November in their home in Newhampton Road West, Whitmore Reans.

Wolverhampton Crown Court has heard how Dowds and Miss Finn, aged 40, had an “explosive” relationship that saw them both drink large amounts of vodka.

She had stabbed him before and on one occasion left him needing 14 stitches.

Sallie-Jo said Dowds, who denies murder, would send her mother messages telling her she would “be alone and lose all her friends and family” after they had argued. He would later apologise.

The trial continues.

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