A man accused of murdering his estranged wife when he stabbed her to death after learning she was having an affair with a taxi driver strenuously denied the allegation.

Harry Turner admits killing 50-year-old Sally but maintains that he has no recollection of how he inflicted almost 70 wounds on the mother-of-four.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how Turner feared he would never see his granddaughters again after the couple split up.

He told jurors how the last thing he remembers is his wife, Sally, whispering to him that he "will never see the girls again".

Turner said the next thing he remembers was standing over the fatally injured woman with a knife in his hands but no memory of how she suffered so many stab wounds.

The Northern Echo: Sally TurnerSally Turner

Under cross examination from prosecuting barrister, Craig Hassall KC, Turner denied that he had made up the claim after realising the spousal infidelity was not enough for a defence of loss of control.

Mr Hassall asked the defendant why he had made no mention of the whispered threat until the preparation of his defence statement in February last year.

Turner tells the jury that he was acting under instruction from his solicitor when he replied ‘no comment’ during his police interviews.

The barrister asked: “What did you think had happened to her when you were stood over her with a knife while she was mortally injured?”

Turner replied: “I had no memory of it.”

The murder accused accepted that he had ‘vague memories’ of what happened in June 2022 when he was interviewed by a psychiatrist following his arrest.

Mr Hassall asked: “Was there anything to cause the loss of control when you killed Sally? They asked you about the taxi driver, didn’t they and you replied - ‘no comment’.”

Turner denied that the affair was what caused his reaction and maintained it was concern about losing contact with his two granddaughters.

The Northern Echo: Police at the scene of the alleged murder on Cuthbert Avenue, DurhamPolice at the scene of the alleged murder on Cuthbert Avenue, Durham

Earlier in the trial, jurors heard how Mrs Taylor was having an affair with the taxi driver who took her disabled granddaughter to and from school.

The 50-year-old suffered 78 wounds, including defence injuries, from at least 68 knife blows with the deepest being 11cm deep and one was so powerful that it broke her shoulder blade while another broke one of her ribs.

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Mrs Turner was found collapsed behind the door of the house when she failed to pick up her granddaughter when she was dropped off by taxi at the house on Cuthbert Avenue, Durham.

Home Office pathologist Dr Louise Mulcahy told the court that Mrs Turner’s cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the neck and torso.

The 55-year-old Turner, of Tiree Close, Brandon, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter.

The trial continues.