A WOMAN accused of murder plunged a knife into her partner's chest and 'grinned' as she pulled out the blade, a court heard.

The prosecution say Cordelia Farrell attacked her partner Wayne Coventry a little over a month before she killed him with a kitchen knife in his brother's Bromsgrove house.

A jury was told how just over a month before the alleged murder she had bitten and twisted his testicles, dragging him around his flat by them before stabbing him in the back with a piece of broken crockery.

The 38-year-old of Dainton Grove, Birmingham, denies murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter following Mr Coventry's death on October 14 last year.

She further denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm on September 11 last year.

Dafydd Enoch QC, opened the case at Worcester Crown Court case yesterday, describing the couple's two and a half year relationship as 'toxic' and 'characterised by violence and jealousy'.

Both Farrell and Mr Coventry were described as drinkers who also indulged in drug-taking. He said the alleged murder took place in Humphrey Avenue, Bromsgrove, the home of Mr Coventry's brother, Sean.

The couple began to argue and fight, Mr Coventry damaging Farrell's coat and she in turn damaging his coat by ripping off the hood.

Mr Enoch said: "In front of three witnesses this defendant removed from a kitchen knife block a large kitchen knife and she turned to Wayne Coventry who turned to face her . She raised the knife up high and brought it down in a classic stabbing motion and plunged it deep into the middle of his chest. It went in to a depth of 9cm. It went straight into his aorta. He didn't stand a chance. He collapsed and died within a minute or two."

One witness, Tony Marks, said 'she smiled as she pulled the knife out' and 'grinned as if she was pleased in what she had just done'.

Mr Enoch said: "She took her revenge or retaliation, as she herself described it, and deliberately and maliciously stabbed him."

Speaking of the earlier assault Mr Enoch said: "It's no coincidence that the defendant was to say to the police a month before the killing, when she was arrested for assault, that one of them would end up dead. How right she was in that prophecy."

Mr Enoch went on to describe how Mr Coventry called 999 while he was in the process of being attacked by Farrell on September 11 last year, a recording played to the jury.

"During the course of that assault Miss Farrell grabbed Mr Coventry by the testicles in both her hands and later dragged him around the flat by his testicles. That of course caused him immense pain and swelling" said the barrister.

He also said in the course of that attack she later bit his private parts

"She was to stab him in the back with a piece of broken crockery or glass, causing a wound to his back" said Mr Enoch.

Police body worn video footage was shown of Mr Coventry, bleeding from his face and back, displaying the injury to his genitals to an officer who had arrived at the scene.

The defendant who was arrested and handcuffed nearby went on to say she was acting in self-defence.

Mr Coventry said before the alleged attack Farrell had been watching YouTube music videos featuring her ex to 'wind him up', the prosecution say.

He said Farrell tended to 'get the better' of Mr Coventry in physical confrontations. In interview she accepted twisting Mr Coventry's testicles but said she could not remember biting them. She gave two explanations for her actions, saying her boyfriend would not let her leave and had told her he had given her chlamydia.

In interview she said: "It's getting worse and worse and one of us is going to end up dead."

Mr Enoch said she had previously been heard to say 'I'm going to hill him'.

He added: "If ever a murder was predictable it was this one."

The trial continues.