A Deal husband murdered his wife in a jealous rage and then faked text messages to cover up the killing, it was alleged this morning.

Jon Cudworth stabbed Polish-born partner Mariola – known as Mika – because she was planning to leave him, a jury was told.

The 35-year-old has admitted stabbing 36-year-old Mika to death – but denies murdering her and dumping her body in a field near their home in Mill Lane Cottages, Northbourne.

But prosecutor Philip Bennetts QC told Canterbury Crown Court: “He killed his wife and he did so because she was going to leave him... and you may consider that the killing was premeditated.

“A jealous man who would not let his wife leave him. It was a case of ‘If you can’t have me you are not having anyone else’.”

Cudworth is alleged to have stabbed the barmaid to death in the lounge of their home before clearing away the blood and hiding her body in the house.

Mr Bennetts told the jury: “He then lied to family and friends saying that she had walked out.

“He disposed of many blood-stained items and dumped his wife in a rape seed field, no doubt hoping that when her decomposed body was found she would not be identified, “ he alleged.

Cudworth then lied to family members and pretended to be his wife, sending messages from her Facebook account, it was claimed.

The prosecutor said friends reported their concerns to police who raided the house and found a blood-stained doormat behind a tumble drier in the garden shed.

“He was arrested and repeated his lies during the interviews and it was only after pressure from relatives he disclosed to them where Mika’s body was hidden," he claimed.

Cudworth then prepared a statement to police in which he gave an account of the last night the two spent together.

The defence statement read: “Mika came in with her glass of wine and sat next to him on the sofa.

“She asked him what was wrong with him and he told her he thought they were falling apart and that he didn’t know why.

“She replied saying she thought they should split up. He asked why and what he had done. She said she did not care.

"She said: ‘I mean it, Jon. I want us to split up and she came towards his and began pushing and poking him in the chest," the jury heard.

Cudworth claimed that during their relationship she would go “completely mental”, scream and throw things at him.

He claimed the 5ft 4in Mika could be “quite fiery” and her moods “very volatile”.

The statement continued: “When she started pushing him and poking him on this occasion, he grabbed her around the neck, to try and keep her away from him.

“Her voice changed and she became louder shouting: ‘I’ll tell you shall I? I’ve been with Dan. I ****** Dan and I’m leaving you’," he claimed.

Cudworth then told police he felt threatened and grabbed “the first thing” he could, a knife used to peel apples and struck out several times.

But Mr Bennetts told the jury: “If that is what really occurred, why not after he had fatally stabbed her, call the police and tell them what had happened?

“The prosecution say this account is a manufactured one and one you will reject.”

Jon Cudworth confided with his mother about his suspicions that his wife was having an affair with a man called Dan Groombridge, who drank in the Three Horseshoes pub in Great Mongeham where she worked.

He is then alleged to have sent Mr Groombridge a text in March which read: “Hi, sorry to bother you, just going through contacts and found your number in there. Do I know you or do you drink somewhere. Just trying to think? LOL, if not I'll delete it.”

The following day on March 21, he confided to a friend that he was upset after finding texts on his wife’s phone suggesting she was having an affair.

"A jealous man who would not let his wife leave him. It was a case of ‘If you can’t have me you are not having anyone else'" - Philip Bennetts QC, prosecuting

Later he is alleged to have told another friend, Ashley Howard that he thought his marriage was over because Mika “wasn’t in love with him anymore”.

She is alleged to have told police later: “Jon has been constantly paranoid about Mika having an affair and their relationship ending.”

She revealed that he had seen messages on her phone and began tracking her movements.

She added: “Jon’s behaviour went downhill and was actually a bit weird. He was always in a mood.”

Mr Bennetts claimed that Mika had confided with a close friend, Wioletta Rachwalik admitting she had “lost her spark for him”.

In April, Cudworth discovered his wife had given a lift with Mr Groombridge one night because he had been drinking and didn’t want to drive.

He is alleged to have sent a text message to Mr Groombridge saying: “Stay away from my wife, She is married. I know she took you home and don’t know what happened but back off and leave her alone. If she is messing about ort whoever idea it was (sic), I leave it and it stops now.”

Mr Groombridge is alleged to have replied: “Seriously we’re back to this? If anything was going on I’d tell ya. Don’t ******* threaten me again.”

Cudworth replied: “Not threatening you mate, just love her and kids so much, don’t want to lose her. Just wound me up when I knew she took you home, sorry.”

And later he sent another text which read: “Sorry, did anything happen or did she just drop you off and go? Just want to be honest. Did she kiss you at all? If she did she obviously don’t want to be with me and I have to try and sort something out my end. Cheers.”

Mr Groombridge replied: “She dropped me off to stop me driving pissed. Seriously sort it out.”

Cudworth then apologised and promised “a few beers for being a nightmare”.

The prosecutor also revealed how on April 28, Cudworth spoke to a neighbour about raspberry plants, asking when they should be planted.

When Mr Halpin returned later he discovered Cudworth had dug an area of 10ft by 18in.

He told the jury: “In a time when he was so concerned about his wife, had he turned to gardening or was this an attempt to dig her grave? If so it is a chilling piece of evidence that demonstrates a premeditated killing.”

Meanwhile Mrs Cudworth had gone to friends where she held hands with Mr Groombridge.

She later texted him saying: “I got home in one piece. Thank you for tonight xx. See you soon xxx"

That was at 11.36 pm – hours later she would be stabbed to death, said the prosecutor.

Mr Bennetts added that Mrs Cudworth died from four stab wounds and a pathologist said the wounds “indicated severe force had been used".

He claimed: “She was hit on the head and had been held about the face and neck. There would have been a substantial amount of blood within the room in which she was killed.”

He claimed Cudworth then tried to hide her body in the house before dumping it in a nearby field.

Mr Bennetts added: “In an effort to hide what he had done, he cleaned the house and disposed of all that he could. He then lied to friends and family.

“He said that Mika had walked out after an argument and persisted in this account until May 7 when under pressure from family he told them that he had killed he," he claimed.

The trial continues.