Murder accused says wife 'took own life'

Joanne Samak was found dead at the home she shared with her husband in July last year

A man accused of stabbing his wife to death has claimed she "took her own life", a court has heard.

Egyptian national Mohamed Samak, 42, denies killing Joanne Samak, 49, at their home in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, in the early hours of 1 July last year.

Prosecutors told a jury at Worcester Crown Court that Mr Samak was "interested in another woman, had financial concerns and had an eye on what he might get" if his wife died.

But the defendant claimed his wife had been struggling with her mental health and stabbed herself.

Opening the trial on Tuesday, lead prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC told the jury that Mr Samak, a hockey coach who had previously worked with the under-18 Welsh national team, had "kept an eye" on his status as an alleged beneficiary of Ms Samak's life insurance policy and pension.

His wife, who was to have begun working at her new interior design business on the day of her death, was said to be the "main breadwinner" of the household, and the defendant had been seeking the assistance of financial advisers while struggling with his mental health, the court was told.

Mr Sandhu told the jury Mr Samak had killed his wife but told police she had "stabbed herself repeatedly" before he found her slumped on a bed with a knife in her stomach.

Change of account

The defendant claimed he had found Mrs Samak, who slept in a separate bedroom, at about 04:10 after he woke to use the toilet and immediately phoned 999.

But Mr Sandhu accused the defendant of later changing his account "to fit the evidence".

During a police interview, Mr Samak was told neighbours had claimed to have heard screaming at about 03:00.

He told officers he was awoken by a noise coming from the bathroom at about the same time.

Mr Samak said he saw his wife holding a knife, screaming and "trying to stab herself", the court was told.

When he tried to help her, he said she went into the bedroom and continued to stab herself before landing on the bed.

He claimed to have waited an hour before calling the emergency services because he was crying and "struggling to breathe".

'Everything to live for'

The court heard that Mr Samak, who moved to the UK after marrying Mrs Samak in 2014, claimed his wife was struggling with her mental health and alcohol at the time of her death.

But friends and family, including her brother Mark Vale, who gave evidence, denied this, saying she was "happy" and "loved her work" as an interior designer.

She was also said to be planning a party and trip to Paris for her upcoming 50th birthday.

The prosecutor said on the one hand there was "a woman who had everything to live for, a woman who had made lots of future plans that decided to take her own life".

Mr Sandhu continued: "Alternatively, her husband, who was interested in another woman, had financial concerns and had an eye on what he might get if she died, killed her."

The trial continues.