Man 'stabbed partner to death in revenge attack'

Stephen Lawton is on trial at Bradford Crown Court

A man killed his partner "out of anger and revenge after she reported him for drink driving", a court has heard.

Stephen Lawton, 45, stabbed 54-year-old Michelle Egge-Bailey three times in the neck and once in the arm on the evening of 10 March at their home, Bradford Crown Court was told earlier.

Prosecutor Geraldine Kelly KC said Ms Egge-Bailey was in bed when she was attacked the night after she had made the drink driving complaint.

Lawton has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but denies murder and has gone on trial.

The couple lived together on Airedale Avenue in Cottingley, Bingley.

On the first day of his trial, Ms Kelly told the court that Lawton had texted his friend Stuart Greaves after stabbing Ms Egge-Bailey, saying: "I need a mate. I have done something beyond stupid."

Lawton worked for the charity Canal and River Trust, and told colleague Liam Brown that he would be "back at work in around 25 years".

Mr Brown called police, who arrived at the address to find Lawton and Ms Egge-Bailey with a pillow over her face, covered in blood, the court heard.

Ms Kelly said footage from police body cameras showed Lawton saying: "I killed my wife last night. There's money in my pocket and I was going to flee the country."

The court heard that Lawton withdrew cash using Ms Egge-Bailey's bank card before having a pint at the local pub and returning home to stab his partner.

Ms Kelly said that Ms Egge-Bailey herself had alcohol in her system when she died, and would have been "defenceless" during the attack.

The deepest stab wound was around 10cm to her neck.

Frida Hussain KC, defending Lawton, told the jury: "What is in dispute is whether you can be sure what he did amounts to murder."

She added: "You will need to consider the background to their relationship," adding that the jury would also need to consider if anything Ms Egge-Bailey said could have triggered Lawton's actions.

The prosecution said there was no justification for Lawton's actions.

Ms Egge-Bailey, who was originally from Kent, was divorced and was not in work due to ill health at the time of her death.

The trial continues.

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