Man who attacked wife and dog with cleaver denies intent to cause grievous bodily harm

David Edgar, 52, of Tees Street, Preston, admits wounding wife Fiona but denies intending to do grievous bodily harm and striking pet terrier Ice.

Edgar, who served in Berlin and the Falklands in the army, is on trial at Preston Crown Court.

In evidence, he told the court he believes he may have taken the blade from the kitchen to “cut her hair” because it was her pride and joy and she was “obsessed with it”.

She suffered neck and hand injuries, but later told police in a phone conversation she did not think he intended to do it as it was “out of character”.

The couple met in a pub in 2006 and he moved in two months later.

The court heard she told him she had feelings for a student in December.

On January 2 he said she “kept going on about how things weren’t as she envisaged them to be as she had wanted kids but that’s not a possibility for me as I can’t have kids.

“She just blurted out that at least the 24 year old man could give her children.”

Asked by defence lawyer Ciaran Rankin why he got a meat cleaver from the kitchen he said: “Well I’ve no idea.

Asked what his intention was he replied: “Just to shock her.” (proceeding)