A wealthy American businessman killed his British wife by stabbing her 23 times as he battled to stop her benefiting from their impending divorce, a murder trial was told today.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that Harold Landry, 64, also struck his wife Lucy with a granite rolling pin before leaving her to die in a hedge near their home near Pershore, Worcestershire, last February.

Opening the case against Landry, prosecutor Rachel Brand, QC, said he did not dispute that he had killed his wife but would claim he was guilty of manslaughter rather than murder.

The trial continues.

• For the full story see tomorrow's Worcester News.