A WEALTHY engineer stabbed his estranged wife 23 times after becoming resentful about giving her money.

Lucy Landry died after husband Harold Landry chased her through the house and garden hitting her with a granite rolling pin before stabbing her to death, a court was told.

A neighbour found her bloodstained body in a hedge with the knife still sticking from her side.

Landry, aged 64, denied murder at Wolverhampton Combined Court yesterday.

He admits killing the 38-year-old mother-of-two but claims she provoked him.

The court heard the couple were living in the same house but had different bedrooms as they were going through a divorce.

At the time of Mrs Landry’s death on February 2 last year, both were seeing other people.

Rachel Brand, prosecuting, said: “He attacked her in their house. He chased her through the house and into the garden.

"First he hit her with a heavy granite rolling pin and then took a kitchen knife and stabbed her 23 times.”

The court heard the couple had met on the internet and married, but their relationship soured in 2009.

Landry had become increasingly resentful of money he paid to his wife, who did not work, and objected to her allowing boyfriend Gareth Jenkins to stay at their home when he was away.

Miss Brand said Landry had told neighbour Stephen Kennedy that he was looking to dispose of his assets, including antiques, stamp and coin collections and silver bars to stop them becoming part of a divorce settlement.

He even commented that it would be “easier to do away with her”, although Mr Kennedy did not take him seriously.

Mr Kennedy said: “He had mentioned about moving assets to be able to pay her as little as possible.”

The court heard that the day before Mrs Landry died, the defendant had paid six months’ rent towards a flat for her but told Mr Kennedy he would have the place watched to ensure that Mr Jenkins did not move in.

That night, Mr Kennedy visited the Landrys’ home in Besford Court estate, near Pershore, and saw the couple arguing.

He told the court Mr Landry had drunk about three bottles of wine.

At about 11pm, another witness at the house heard a scream and saw Landry holding a rolling pin and Mrs Landry with a large gash to her cheek.

"The pair were seen grappling in the house before Mrs Landry fled to the garden.

Miss Brand said the fatal stab wounds had been inflicted as Mrs Landry lay or partially lay on the ground. She had also suffered defensive wounds to her left arm.

The court heard that after the attack Landry got dressed and drove to his girlfriend Rachel Wallbank’s house, where he handed her three £10,000 banker’s drafts, cash, signed blank cheques and the watch it is thought that Mrs Landry had been wearing during the attack.

The case continues.