Man who raped wife jailed for six years

A MAN who raped his wife at knifepoint after she had refused him sex for two weeks was jailed for six years at the Old Bailey yesterday.

The 38-year-old man, who has a previous conviction for manslaughter, told a friend his wife wanted to end their marriage and that he was going to have sex with her one more time. The court was told that the man was so drunk when he attacked her he could remember nothing about the incident. He accepted that he had raped her only after hearing the 25-year-old woman give evidence about her ordeal at Birmingham Crown Court.

The man, who comes from Birmingham, then halted the trial and changed his plea to guilty. The case was switched to the Old Bailey for sentence.

The husband had been out drinking heavily with his friend on the night of the attack. He returned home in the early hours and armed himself with a carving knife. He was so drunk he could hardly climb the stairs to his wife's bedroom, the court was told.

Andrew Fisher, for the defence, said: 'He had drunk a lot and found it difficult to come to terms with because he has a lot of affection for his wife. It was certainly a traumatic experience for her.'