'Highly unlikely' West Cowick stab victim walked into knife, court told

Paul Hanson, 54, died after being found stabbed three days after Christmas

It was "highly unlikely" that a stabbing victim "walked into" a knife, a murder trial has heard.

Teresa Hanson, 54, denies murdering Paul Hanson, also 54, at their home in West Cowick near Snaith on 28 December.

Hull Crown Court heard that Mrs Hanson told police her husband "walked into the knife" as she was preparing dinner, adding: "It was an accident."

Forensic pathologist Dr Michael Parsons told the court it was "highly unlikely" Mr Hanson walked on to the blade.

Alistair MacDonald KC, prosecuting, said that after she was arrested, Mrs Hanson gave a pre-prepared statement to police officers interviewing her.

In it she claimed her husband had "come into the kitchen in a bad mood" and was shouting and she turned round with a knife in her hand, which she was using to chop onions for their dinner.

"He came straight at me and the knife went into him," the statement said.

She added she first knew she had stabbed her husband when the dog started barking and she saw blood on the floor.

She said: "At no time did I intend to kill him or cause serious harm. It was an accident."

Officers were called to a property in West Cowick on 28 December

The prosecutor read the jury a transcript of the initial 999 call the defendant made to the ambulance service in which Mrs Hanson said the couple had an argument and she had stabbed him.

She added: "Just out of anger. We was having a row, I didn't mean to do it, please come now."

Mr MacDonald said that Mrs Hanson refused to answer any questions during her police interview and just referred back to her statement.

"Why did she not answer questions?" he said

"Did she know her account would not stand up to analysis?"

Giving evidence, Dr Parsons said that Mr Hanson had died from a single stab wound to the heart and said that the wound was 3in (8.5cm) in depth.

He told the jury that although the possibility that the victim died from an accidental stab wound "cannot be entirely excluded" it was "highly unlikely Mr Hanson simply walked on to the knife blade."

The trial continues.