A husband made his loving wife lie on their bed with a tea towel covering her face after promising her a present only to plunge a knife into her neck.

Laura May expected a puppy as husband Shaun counted down from 10 to zero, a jury heard this morning.

Now May, 34, of Station Road, Tunbridge Wells has gone on trial at Maidstone Crown Court accused of attempting to murder his wife in October last year. He denies the offence.

Prosecutor Robin Griffiths told how the couple had been married for 14 months and had just returned from a holiday in Korea.

He said: "As far as Mrs May was concerned it was a good relationship and she could not remember them ever having an argument before. What happened that morning was totally unexpected."

After sharing a takeaway the couple went to bed but in the early hours May went downstairs telling his wife he thought he heard a noise.

"He returned to bed, cuddled and there was some sexual activity before telling her he had a present for her and asking her to close her eyes. She did so and he left the room, " the jury heard.

"She then felt something in her left shoulder, a clamping feeling. She thought at first it was a puppy clinging to her skin but then realised it felt cold and she felt something trickling down her back..." Prosecutor Robin Griffiths

Mr Griffiths said he asked his wife to lie down on the bed and place a tea towel over her face and when she could hear her mobile phone vibrate he told her to ignore it.

She said "come on Shaun" and he knelt by her side and began counting "from 10 towards zero" but as it got to the low numbers he began saying "1.5, 1.4.." before returning to 10.

The jury heard that when Mrs May was becoming impatient he promised her he wouldn't keep her waiting any longer.

Mr Griffiths added: "She then felt something in her left shoulder, a clamping feeling. She thought at first it was a puppy clinging to her skin but then realised it felt cold and she felt something trickling down her back."

The prosecution allege that May plunged the kitchen knife through her neck, narrowly missing vital arteries, before pointing a knife at his stomach saying he was going to kill himself.

May later told her he had been fired from his job the day earlier over financial inregularities and he didn't know how they would be able to pay their mortgage.

Mr Griffiths said that before driving the injured Mrs May to Pembury Hospital to receive treatment she saw the bloodied knife in the sink with the handle snapped off.

The victim told sceptical hospital staff she had fallen on the knife but they called police and May is alleged to have told his wife: "You've got to tell them the truth. I am going to tell the truth. You will find someone else but don't visit me when I am on remand."

After being arrested May, who has admitted the lesser charge of wounding his wife with intent, told a police officer: "It was a sobering day."

Mr Griffiths said the injuries weren't worse "by sheer good fortune" and at the time May had intended on murdering his wife.

The trial continues.

To read more of our in depth coverage of all of the major trials coming out of crown and magistrates' courts across the county, click here.

To get the latest updates in ongoing cases, police appeals and criminals put behind bars, click here.

For information on how we can report on court proceedings, click here.

Read more: All the latest news from Tunbridge Wells