Teresa Hanson had 'no reason' to stab her husband, court told

Teresa Hanson denies murdering her husband at their home in West Cowick in East Yorkshire

A woman accused of murdering her husband with a kitchen knife while making tea has told a court she had "no reason to stab him".

Paul Hanson, 54, died last Christmas following a stab wound to his chest at the East Yorkshire home he shared with his wife Teresa Hanson.

Hull Crown Court heard Mrs Hanson, also 54, had been chopping onions when she "accidentally" stabbed him.

She denies murdering her husband on 28 December 2022.

Giving evidence, the former hairdresser told the jury she "didn't know why he was injured" after seeing blood on the floor, adding she had "no idea where it was coming from".

Jurors heard the couple had a "long, happy marriage" but on the night of Mr Hanson's death, his wife had stabbed him out of anger following an argument while cooking at their house on Little London Lane, in West Cowick, near Snaith.

Paul Hanson, 54, died last Christmas after telling his wife he did not want tea and to put it in the bin, a jury was told

Mrs Hanson told the court she "wasn't that angry… I didn't mean it like that".

Prosecutor Alistair MacDonald KC asked: "You were just simply rolling the puff pastry and cooking away?"

"I really didn't know how it happened," she replied.

She said she noticed the stab wound to his chest while she was on the phone to emergency services and admitted she offered two paramedics each £1,000 to save her husband.

"I had no reason to stab him," said Mrs Hanson.

She told jurors she had "nightmares" about the incident, adding: "I have nightmares every night".

In court, the couple's daughter Sherri Hanson told the jury her parents' relationship had "always been good", with her mother caring for her father after he suffered a brain injury.

"They did everything together," she said.

Officers were called to the couple's house on 28 December 2022 following 999 calls made by Mrs Hanson, saying she had unintentionally stabbed her husband, jurors heard

Statements made by friends, which were read out by the defendant's defence barrister Jason Pitter KC, also described how the couple were "very much in love" and that Mrs Hanson "worshipped the ground" her husband walked on.

The court heard the couple, who had been together for 40 years, were not aggressive towards each other but Mr Hanson could be "verbally and mentally abusive" to his wife, made "worse" when he drank.

A statement by Mr Hanson's sister, Vanessa Lappin, read out by Mr Pitter, praised her sister-in-law for wanting to keep her brother "safe", after saying: "I can't put into words the loss I feel of my brother...

"She always had his best interest at heart."

The trial previously heard Mrs Hanson had claimed to police her husband "walked into a blade that she was holding" while she was preparing food after he told her he did not want tea and to put it in the bin.

The trial continues.