Husband who repeatedly knifed wife: "I wanted to hurt her like she had hurt me"

Hugh Wedderburn took the stand at Wolverhampton Crown Court and described stabbing his childhood sweetheart Maureen after she refused to return to their marital home.

The 67-year-old told jurors he was "under a lot of strain" after driving his wife away by accusing her repeatedly of having an affair with a man called Vincent who he mistakenly referred to as "the defendant".

Wedderburn said: "She smashed the place up when I brought up the affair and she left me, I now know she had gone to my daughter's home.

"I wanted her back, I phoned, texted and told her in the street that I still loved her but she was not having any of it. I was under a lot of strain that week, my brother had died and her brother had died too, who I was close with. I was depressed."

Describing the morning of Wednesday, April 6, Wedderburn said: "I knew she would be walking to work and when I saw her I was happy, but then we started talking about Vincent and she was saying she had never heard of him blah blah blah.

"I don't know why I had taken two knives with me. But I knew I wanted to hurt her like she had hurt me for all those years."

When asked by defence barrister Phillip Brunt what he was thinking when he decided to attack Maureen, Wedderburn said: "I wanted to hurt her but I did not want to kill her. I knew there were people in the street but I took no notice of them."

Mr Brunt then asked: "Why did you not carry on with the attack?"

Wedderburn replied: "God made me stop, it was God, he made stop. I knew I had hurt her so I just sat on the wall and waited for the police to turn up."

Police Constables Tom Cross and Thomas Rusk had statements read out to the court.

PC Cross said: " I looked to my right and I saw a black male in a red coat sitting on a wall, I now know it was Hugh Wedderburn.

"I could see he was holding a knife and was covered in blood, he began walking to ward PC Rusk, who took out his Taser, by this time other officers were shouting, he threw the knife on the ground and then he was arrested."

Wedderburn was taken to Oldbury Custody Suite where he took his solicitors advice and gave no comment in the subsequent interviews.

However, the next day Wedderburn, of Newbolt Street, Walsall, told officers he had attacked Maureen, admitting wounding with intent and other charges but he denied attempted murder.

Wedderburn denies attempted murder.

The trial continues.