A husband accused of stabbing his estranged wife to death has apologised in court to her friends and family.

Barry McCarthy, 51, is said to have brutally attacked his wife Lorna with a knife, while she was in bed at the family home in Sussex Road, Gorleston.

McCarthy took to the stand at Norwich Crown Court this morning and began his evidence by reading aloud from a letter he had written.

He said: 'I would like to offer my sincere apologies to Lorna's friends and family. I have robbed them of a much-loved daughter, sister, mother and grandmother, also a true and loyal friend.

'I am ashamed, shocked and disgusted by my actions and the suffering I have caused. I'm truly sorry.'

McCarthy has denied murdering his wife Lorna on Sunday, September 28 last year and told the court: 'I didn't intend to kill her.'

He handed himself into police after a failed suicide attempt and told them he could not remember picking up the knife.

He handed himself into police after a failed suicide attempt and The court heard how Mrs McCarthy, 50, had returned home around 3am on that Sunday after a night out. McCarthy had wanted to try to make another go of the relationship but Mrs McCarthy had made it clear she did not want to save her marriage and McCarthy had smashed her laptop after he discovered messages showing she had signed up to a dating website since their separation.

The defendant told police that his wife and friends had said he changed after an illness left him in a coma.

Speaking about the night in question, McCarthy said: 'She said that her Barry had died in the hospital.' He said he was devastated by this and added: 'She said it would have been better if I had died.'

Matthew McMiff, mitigating, said McCarthy was not a man who was not normally violent.

Peter Gair, prosecuting, questioned why McCarthy had not told police about his wife's statements that it would have been better if he had died.

Earlier in the day, Judge Anthony Bate discharged one of the jurors and said the case would proceed with 11 jurors.

The case continues.