Warning: Graphic content 

Police called after a wife stabbed her husband during sex found her with bloody hands and a bag strap wound so “tightly” around her neck the officer could not get her finger under it, a jury has been told. 

The wife, who has interim name suppression, is on trial in the Rotorua District Court after denying charges of wounding her husband with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and breaching a protection order.   

The names of the complainant and some witnesses are also suppressed, and some details of the case cannot be reported. 

It is the Crown’s case the couple often fought but had been rekindling their relationship after separating when the defendant initiated sex about 5am. 

While straddling him during intercourse, she grabbed scissors and stabbed him in the neck and abdomen, leaving him with life-threatening injuries, the Crown alleges. 

The defence case is the woman stabbed her husband in self-defence as he was tightening a strap around her neck during sex. 

The trial began on Monday and Crown witnesses have included children of the couple and neighbours who often heard “fighting” and “screaming” from the home.   

‘Blood on her hands’ 

A police officer who attended the incident was called by Crown prosecutor Anna McConachy on Thursday as a witness. 

The officer said she found the defendant sitting on the floor in a bedroom doorway with a “strap around her neck”, wearing tights and a sports bra. 

• 'Get off', children heard dad yell after mum stabbed him during sex
• 'You're killing me': Woman on trial after stabbing husband with scissors during sex

The witness described the strap as being from a sports bag and “very tight” around her neck. 

The officer said she helped remove the strap and the woman was “quite hysterical” and crying. 

The officer read out a statement from the notebook she had taken to the incident. 

“[The defendant] was located on the floor in her bedroom cowering in the corner, crying hysterically. She couldn’t say anything, she was wailing. 

“I observed a bag strap tightened around her neck tightly. I couldn’t get my finger in between the neck and the strap. 

“[She] had blood on her hands and her tights were around her ankles. I observed considerable amounts of blood over the bed and a splattering on the floor by the doorway.” 

‘She couldn’t breathe’ 

The defendant eventually calmed down and told her about what happened, the officer said. 

The officer said she was told the couple started to have consensual sex and the defendant began performing oral sex on her husband. He put the strap around her neck and the sex continued, with him becoming “more and more” rough with her. 

She said the woman claimed her husband pushed her over the end of the bed and she told him to stop because he was hurting her. 

“[He] was holding the strap tightly and was hurting her (I observed red marks around [her] neck).” 

The officer said she was told the man let go of the strap and continued to have sex with him on top. 

“[She] stated that she couldn’t breathe and felt as though she was going to black out. 

“This is when [she] has grabbed the scissors. She was repeating ‘get off me’ over and over. And [he] continued to have sex with her.” 

“[She] has then pushed with all of her might and sat up so she could breathe.” 

The officer said she was told the complainant then grabbed at the strap around the defendant’s neck. The defendant was “so scared” and stabbed him twice to get him off her. 

Under cross-examination, defence lawyer Tony Bamford confirmed with the police officer it was about 10 minutes before the defendant had “calmed sufficiently to start talking”. 

He also confirmed with her that the marks around the defendant’s neck were consistent with where the strap was. 

‘I think I got him in the tummy’ 

The court played a 111 call made by the defendant on the day of the incident. 

Judge Tony Snell allowed the defendant, at her lawyer’s request, to leave the courtroom while the call was played. 

Judge Snell told the jury this was “slightly unusual”. The Crown did not object. 

On the call, the defendant said to “come quickly” and appeared panicked and distressed, saying her husband tried to strangle her. 

The defendant starts crying on the phone when talking about her children, who are also at home. 

The 111 operator asks if she needs an ambulance. 

The defendant said her husband “might” need one as she grabbed scissors, “got him in the neck” and “I think I got him in the tummy”. 

The trial continues. 

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.