A controlling husband tried to kill his estranged wife as they visited a graveyard, telling her: “I’m sorry, if I can’t have you no one can”, a court heard.

David Norris, 51, stabbed his wife Dionne several times and only stopped when she “played dead” and a farmer disturbed him after hearing her screams, it was alleged.

Mrs Norris, 45, was taken to a London hospital and treated for multiple stab wounds.

Window cleaner Norris, of Morgan Drive, Greenhithe, denies attempted murder, claiming he did not mean to kill her.

Maidstone Crown Court was told the couple had been together for 30 years and married for 27 years. They had two children by IVF.

Mrs Norris said the relationship was brilliant at first but it deteriorated as the years went by.

“There was name calling and he was coming into my face all the time,” she said in evidence from behind screens. “He treated me like dirt.

“He didn’t let me work. He didn’t trust me. He would accuse me of sleeping around. He wouldn’t let me have any friends.”

Mrs Norris said she left her husband for five days in July last year but went back when he promised to change. She left again on August 28 after finding things were just the same.

"He stabbed me. I don"t know how many times. I was on my side. I couldn’t get him off... I thought he was going to kill me because of the evil in his eyes. I had to play dead..." - Dionne Norris

The football fan said she took just her Arsenal shirt with her and went to stay with Michael Bedford, who she met on Facebook and later started a relationship with.

Norris stayed in touch with her by text. She saw him again when she and Mr Bedford went to watch an Arsenal game at a pub near the north London ground.

Norris, she said, became aggressive and took her phone from her.

“He took me around London for five hours,” she told the jury of eight men and four women.

“I was scared. He told me he had slept with another woman.”

She next saw him on the day of the attack on October 11.

They agreed to visit her mother’s grave together at Blue Bell Hill crematorium on what would have been her birthday and then his grandmother’s grave at St Nicholas Church in Southfleet.

Norris asked her if they could save their marriage but she told him it was over.

“I wanted to part as friends,” she said. “He started getting nasty again. He said: ‘You have destroyed this family.’”

When they reached the churchyard in Southfleet he went to the boot of the car and she walked to the grave with flowers.

“I noticed he was looking around,” said Mrs Norris. “I bent down to put flowers on the grave. He just lunged at me, He said: ‘I’m sorry, Dionne, if I can’t have you no one can.’

“He put his hands tight around my throat. I screamed. He put his hands over my mouth. I was on the ground by the grave. He was sitting on my legs.

“I was trying to fight him off. I saw him taking a knife out of his pocket. I said: ‘Dave, think of the boys.’ He said: ‘**** the boys.’

“He stabbed me. I don’t know how many times. I was on my side. I couldn’t get him off. I was aware of a gentleman. David looked around and told him to **** off.

“I thought he was going to kill me because of the evil in his eyes. I had to play dead. I said to him: ‘I can see my mum. Let me go and be with my mum.’

“I wanted to let him think he had killed me. He stroked my forehead and said: ‘Now go to sleep with your mum.’ I closed my eyes and held my breath.

“I could see him slowly walking away. I opened my eyes and started screaming. The man came. He called the police and an ambulance came.”

The trial continues.

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