A MAN who stabbed his estranged wife to death told police he had gone to her house intending to kill himself, not her, a court heard.

Edward Richardson, aged 41, denies murdering Sarah Richardson at her parents' home on Lyndhurst Drive, Brown Lees, on May 12.

A jury heard yesterday that after he stabbed his wife, Richardson, of Mayfield Road, Biddulph, drove to a lay-by at Mow Cop and cut his neck and wrists with the same knife.

The court was told after discarding the weapon, which had a 19cm blade, he stopped a passer-by and asked him to call the police.

When the emergency services arrived he told a police officer he had killed his wife after an argument, the jury was told.

Officers were sent to Lyndhurst Drive where Sarah's body was discovered at 9am.

Richardson was arrested the following day.

Christopher Hotten QC, prosecuting, said: "In his initial account he said Sarah would not respond to his texts and that made him angry.

"He said he decided to go to her house and if she wouldn't talk to him he would kill himself in front of her." Richardson told police he had gone to Lyndhurst Drive with a knife in a bag, knocked on the front door of the house but got no reply. The jury was told he claimed he "tapped" the glass out of the door and went inside.

Mr Hotten QC said: "He said when he went into the bedroom she was sitting up in bed and screamed at him to get out. He said she came at him as if to shove him out of the room. He said she started screaming so he took the knife out and stabbed her. He kept stabbing her and afterwards he didn't know what he had done."

The jury heard Richardson, who had two daughters from a previous marriage, told police the couple had split up because she wanted children and he didn't.

He said he asked her to leave but then changed his mind and was trying to get her back.

He denied he had gone to the house with the intention of stabbing her.

Sarah's mother, Beryl Boote, told the jury Richardson had been like a son to her, but by the day before Sarah's death she was considering contacting the police because of his behaviour.

The court was told Richardson called Mrs Boote on May 10, while she was in Wales, and told her Sarah took cocaine.

She said: "I was gobsmacked, I couldn't believe it." She said she then rang Sarah, who admitted taking the drug "now and again."

She said the following day Sarah became upset at home. Mrs Boote said: "She was crying, and I said 'what's happened?'

"She said he wanted £250 to pay this drug dealer, and if she didn't give it to him he would show us a tape of them having sex."

The jury was told Richardson had sent Sarah numerous text messages the night before her death, which she had ignored. The court was told he then sent a text which read: "The more you ignore me makes me feel much more horrible and angry towards you."

The trial continues.