A pub landlord accused of trying to murder his wife claims he accidentally stabbed her in the back after tripping over a dog toy, a court has heard.

Stephen Bangs, who ran The Pheasant in Ashford, is alleged to have knifed Yadasuphak Bangs as she was cleaning up at the kitchen sink shortly before 1pm on August 18 last year.

A jury at Canterbury Crown Court was told that having allegedly lunged at his wife of eight years, the 62-year-old told her "I'm going to kill you" as he attempted to stab her more than once.

A shocked and scared Mrs Bangs, who is 21 years younger than her husband, managed to grab the blade and push him away before she escaped out of a window.

She was taken to hospital suffering from a deep wound to the right side of her back which measured 2.5cm long.

Bangs fled the pub and drove himself to a police station, where he was arrested.

But at the start of his trial yesterday, jurors were told by his barrister, Daniel Cohen, the incident was an "entirely unfortunate accident" caused when Bangs stumbled over a "large, semi-inflated, dog toy tennis ball" as he turned from scraping a chopping board.

Mr Cohen said the couple had a "loving and very happy" relationship and Bangs never intended "to kill, cause serious harm or hurt his wife at all".

Bangs denies attempted murder as well as the alternative, less serious offence of wounding with intent.

The court heard the pair met online in April 2013 and married in Thailand the following year. At the time of the alleged murder bid, they lived above the pub where Bangs was general manager.

Mrs Bangs, who is known as Joy, described her husband to police as "a gentleman who took care of me". She said they were always "laughing and playing" and did not fight or have money problems.

The 41-year-old added he had taken out a life insurance policy for her a year before the incident and after she became a British citizen.

The court heard she had just returned from walking her dog Tigger when she was allegedly attacked by her husband. She said their day until then had been "normal".

"Mrs Bangs was at the kitchen sink cleaning or washing up when Mr Bangs approached her from behind," said prosecutor Laurence Imrie.

"She then felt something hit her back. At that stage she didn't realise that she had been stabbed. She turned round and saw Mr Bangs. She then realised he was holding a knife.

"Quite naturally, she was very scared. Mr Bangs was repeatedly saying 'I want to kill you'. He was trying to stab her again more than once.

"She managed to grab hold of Mr Bangs. She then managed somehow to get hold of the knife and to push him away.

"All the while, Mrs Bangs was screaming and shouting for help and people outside could hear her desperate pleas.

"She was shouting that Mr Bangs was trying to kill her so members of the public went to help her get out of the window."

Mr Imrie told the jury that although Mrs Bangs suffered a deep wound, the blade had not penetrated the chest cavity or damaged any internal organs.

The court also heard that when interviewed by police Bangs accepted he had stabbed his wife but said it was "accidental" and maintained he had actually told her "I am not going to kill you".

Mr Imrie said, however, it was the prosecution case that Bangs’ account was "simply untrue".

"The Crown say the stabbing was clearly deliberate and, given the circumstances of what happened, particularly when he was saying 'I'm going to kill you', you can be sure he was attempting to murder Mrs Bangs," he told the jury.

In respect of the wounding with intent charge, the prosecutor explained: "Alternatively, if you cannot be sure he wanted to murder her, you can be sure he wanted to cause her serious harm.

"The Crown will say his account that he tripped and accidentally stabbed his wife in the back is simply untrue."

Addressing the jury as to the defence case, Mr Cohen described how Bangs had stumbled into his wife with the knife.

The barrister also told the court that police body-worn camera footage from the scene showed the dog toy next to the bin and the chopping board on the floor.

"In respect of what happened afterwards, Mr Bangs will say that Mrs Bangs, with English not being her first language, was mistaken in what he has said in her panic and obvious distress and being injured," explained Mr Cohen.

"At no stage did he say he wanted to kill her. In fact, he will tell you he told her the opposite - that he was not going to kill her - in order to calm her down.

"He will maintain this event was entirely an unfortunate accident and at no stage did he intend to kill, cause serious harm or hurt at all his loving wife."

The trial continues.