by Paul Hooper

A Margate mother of two stabbed her husband to death... just hours after he was released from jail, a jury has heard.

Janice Carter, 28, is alleged to have plunged a kitchen knife through the heart of 30-year-old Kevin Carter during a frenzied attack at their home.

Carter – who denies murder – stabbed him 21 times after a reunion between the couple turned sour during an argument over a tagging device, it was claimed.

Prosecutor Christopher May told how that Mr Carter – who had been serving an 180-day sentence for motoring offences – had been looking forward to his early release last October.

"There were, however, some sources of tension between the two of them in the run up to his release from prison.

"One of these concerned the arrangements for the terms of his release."

The two had been drinking beer and spirits during the evening and playing loud music at their flat in Sweyn Road, Margate, the jury at Canterbury Crown Court heard.

But when officials from G4S arrived to install an electronic monitoring device inside the flat – which was part of the conditions of the prison release - the couple fell out.

"The tagging equipment was eventually installed in the bedroom and Janice Carter was described as not happy about that, though she was joking and hugging the G4S employees."

A neighbour – who had been drinking with the couple earlier – returned to his flat but could hear the couple shouting.

Mr May said: "He was able to make out some of the swear words. He could also hear Janice’s voice getting louder and it sounded like there was a full-blown row between the two."

Between 8pm and 8.20pm the neighbour heard three hollow thumps and Mr Carter shouting.

"There was another hollow thump and after that there was no more shouting. After 10 minutes he heard an internal door slam and after that just the sound of music. At 9pm the music suddenly went off, " he said.

The prosecutor added that Carter had gone to the home of her sister, Michelle Cheney in Zion Place and told her:"I've killed him. I've stabbed him. I think he's dead."

Her brother-in-law went to the flat and found Mr Carter lying on the kitchen floor with a kitchen knife by his side.

Blonde-haired Carter sat with her head bowed as the jury was played the 10-minute 999 call her sister made to police.

She was heard to tell Michelle: "I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean to do it. I never hurt anyone. Michelle, I said to Kevin: ’Please wake up. Please wake up’. But he wouldn’t wake up."

A pathologist discovered that some of the knife wounds had penetrated his heart and lung and severed an artery.

The trial continues.