A HUSBAND accused of stabbing his wife to death after she had a lesbian fling had affairs of his own with various women, a court has heard.

Estate agent David Clark, 49, is accused of murdering Melanie Clark, 44, at their home in Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove, on New Year's Eve.

Birmingham Crown Court heard last week how the couple had argued about Melanie having an affair with their friend’s daughter in their marital bed two days previously.

Mr Clark is then alleged to have stabbed his wife in the chest with a cooking knife, following a night out at a friend's house where the pair had played drinking games.

Police rushed to the couple's home and mum-of-four Melanie was pronounce dead 12 minutes into the New Year.

Today (Monday) jurors heard how Mr Clark had numerous affairs with different women - which caused his wife to go "crazy”.

Prosecutor Benjamin Aina QC said Mr Clark had also pretended to commit suicide in an attempt to play mind games which would "tip her over the edge”.

Worcester News:

Mr Aina said to Mr Clark: “Your evidence is that the marriage was over at this stage. And both you and Melanie knew the marriage was over.

"You wanted to continue the relationship even though you are seeing women behind her back and effectively lying about it."

Mr Clark said he did not tell his wife who his mistress was in case she found her on Facebook and started “causing problems”.

Mr Aina said: "Melanie was saying to you 'if you want to have an affair, fine, but don't do it under my roof in our house’. You wanted to stay in the matrimonial house until December 19.

"Your response to her request that you should leave the matrimonial home if you wanted to see other women was to take these sleeping tablets.

"Your response was to give your wife the impression that you were trying to commit suicide.”

My Aina added: “You knew your wife loved you and you were just trampling all over her because that's the kind of person you are - in control."

"All she wanted was for you to stop cheating on her. That's all she wanted."

Mr Clark denied pretending to commit suicide, adding: “I cared very much for my wife.”

He denies murder. The trial continues.