A MAN fatally stabbed his wife after becoming “utterly obsessed” with her alleged infidelity, a court has heard.

Wilfred Jacob, 44, is standing trial after being charged with the murder of his wife, Linda Vilika, at their home in The Street, Great Sailing. He denies the charge.

Police and paramedics found Ms Vilika, who was 41, unresponsive in the couple’s living room on August 19 last year.

Jacob was arrested at the scene and later charged with murder.

At the opening of the trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, it was revealed Ms Vilika had likely been stabbed twice in the back with a 20cm carving knife.

A 999 call made by Jacob after Ms Vilika’s death was played to the court.

In the call, the defendant can be heard saying Ms Vilika was lying unresponsive on the floor after he had confronted her about messages she had sent to a man online.

Jacob told the operator he had pushed his wife after she attacked him with a knife but said he couldn’t remember anymore of the incident because he had suffered an epileptic fit called an aura.

Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, told the court there was no scientific evidence that Jacob has suffered an aura and he had not had any epileptic episode since 2010.

Instead, he alleged Jacob had carried out and attack after becoming “obsessed” with the thought that she was seeing another man.

The court heard the couple’s marriage had deteriorated in the months leading up to Ms Vilika’s death and that police has been called to their home eight days before after she became fed up of her husband accusing her of cheating in a series of Whatsapp messages.

Mr Jackson said: “In the weeks leading up to this murder, the defendant had become consumed with jealousy believing she was seeing other men.

“He bombarded her with unpleasant messages.

“She felt controlled and not surprisingly she resulted to leaving.

“The events of the proceeding days and weeks came rapidly to a head in that time.

“He reacted angrily and that anger translated into violence.”

The trial continues.