A husband who made a courtroom plea for mercy after his wife plunged a blade into his chest was murdered by her in a second stabbing four years later.

John Williamson, 59, told a judge in 2001 he could not live without his wife Jacqueline, 45, who had punctured his lung during the attack at their home.

As a result of his heartfelt plea, Williamson was spared jail and sentenced to just a two year community order.

Judge Maurice Carr told her at the time: "The scales have been tipped in your favour by what your husband has told me."

And her barrister Andrew Walker said: "She has only one person in her life and that is her husband."

But in December last year Williamson, who already had a conviction for stabbing a previous partner, struck again - but this time killed the former off-shore worker.

Mr Williamson, of South Frederick Street, South Shields, was certified dead at the scene when emergency services were called to the couple's flat.

A post mortem by a home office pathologist confirmed his death was due to a stab wound.

Williamson, also known as Jacqueline Chesson, denied murder at a previous hearing earlier this year.

But on the day her trial was due to start at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday she accepted responsibility and entered a guilty plea to the murder charge.

Her plea is on the basis she did not intend to kill Mr Williamson but had momentarily meant to cause him serious harm.

Williamson will receive a mandatory life sentence when she is brought back to court in December.

Her barrister David Robson asked for yesterday's hearing to be adjourned so a pre-sentence and a psyciatric report could be prepared to assess Williamson's dangerousness.

Judge Esmond Faulks adjourned the case and remanded Williamson in custody.

Relatives of Mr Williamson were in court to witness the guilty plea but did not wish to comment after the hearing.