Knife attack on husband like a massacre - wife

Andrew Hall denies murdering Glenna Siviter at her home in Middlesbrough

An alleged stabbing attack on a man in a car by an accused murderer was like a "massacre", the victim's wife has said.

Craig Woodier was repeatedly stabbed by his friend Andrew Hall in Middlesbrough in December, Newcastle Crown Court has been told.

Mr Hall, 46, denies the attempted murder of Mr Woodier and murdering Glenna Siviter, whose body was discovered with 36 stab wounds hidden beneath her sofa.

As well as hearing from Mr Woodier's wife Donna, jurors were also told a DNA profile matching Mr Hall's was found on Ms Siviters ankle.

'Love to unsee it'

The court has heard Mr and Mrs Woodier smoked crack cocaine at their home in Laycock Street with Mr Hall on the afternoon of 15 December.

The two men then drove to a pharmacy to collect Mr Woodier's methadone prescription, but after they had pulled up back outside his home he was attacked.

Mrs Woodier said she was in the house when she heard the horn of her husband's blue Honda Jazz being sounded.

She said she thought he was being "cheeky" and "ignorant" and he should get out of the car to "come and get" her.

But when she looked outside she could see what looked like the two men "fighting" in the car.

Mrs Woodier said she ran outside and could see Mr Hall, known as Hally, punching her husband with rapid blows, and then she saw he was striking her partner with knives.

"It wasn’t a fight, it was a massacre," Mrs Woodier said, adding: "I would love to try and unsee it."

'Man possessed'

She said she opened the car door so her husband, known as Chilly, could escape, then Mr Hall, whose face had a "horrible" expression on it, drove off in their car.

Mrs Woodier said she got her husband in the house and "blood started coming from everywhere", including his neck and head.

Mr Woodier previously told the court Mr Hall was "like a man possessed" and his wife saved his life.

The court has heard on the same day as the attack on Mr Woodier, Ms Siviter's adult son found her body in the living room of her home in Grimwood Avenue.

Prosecutors said she had been killed in the early hours of 11 December for her jewellery, which it is alleged Mr Hall, of Thorntree Avenue, sold for drugs.

'Manhandling'

Forensic scientist, Kathryn Bird, told jurors she tested Ms Siviter's clothes for DNA, in particular the underarms of the grey cardigan and ankle parts of the socks she was wearing when her body was found.

She said there were mixed DNA profiles found, but on Ms Siviter's left sock ankle the "major" one discovered was one matching Mr Hall.

Ms Bird said that "could be explained" by Mr Hall having "direct contact" with Ms Siviter's ankle and "potentially could relate to him manoeuvring or manhandling her at some time".

A profile matching his was also found "at a low level" in the right underarm of her cardigan, the court heard.

Scrapings were also taken from beneath Ms Siviter's fingernails to see if she may have been "grabbing or punching her assailant", with three DNA profiles found on those from her right hand.

Ms Bird said it was 13 million times more likely the DNA came from Ms Siviter, Mr Hall and a third unknown person rather than Ms Siviter and two strangers.

Ms Bird said swabs in the kitchen were also a match for Mr Hall's DNA profile, including one on a washing up bowl which was a "billion times more likely" to be his than someone else's.

The trial continues.

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