Husband told his wife to cover her eyes for a surprise, then counted down from ten before stabbing her in the throat, court hears

A husband told his wife to cover her eyes for a surprise after a sex romp, before counting down to zero and stabbing her in the throat, a court heard.

Shaun May, 34, knifed his wife Laura May in the neck in a 'totally unexpected' attack, jurors were told.

The kitchen knife only narrowly missed her vital arteries and she said the attack last October was 'totally unexpected'.

May later told her he had been fired from his job the day earlier over financial irregularities, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

Jurors heard he didn't know how they would be able to pay their mortgage and that he told his wife of 14 months that he would kill himself immediately after the attack.

Prosecutor Robin Griffiths said it was just 'sheer good fortune' Mrs May wasn't killed (stock image)

May, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, has admitted wounding his wife with intent but is on trial for attempted murder after prosecutors accused him of intending to kill her.

Prosecutor Robin Griffiths said it was just 'sheer good fortune' Mrs May wasn't killed.

He said they had just returned from a holiday in Korea and added: '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.

Mr Griffiths said: '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.'

He said May 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 ten towards zero' but as it got to the low numbers he began saying '1.5, 1.4..' before returning to 10, jurors heard.

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 alleged 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 irregularities 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.

After being arrested May 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.