A man told the police he stabbed his wife as he could not accept that she sought to take all their assets once they separated, the court heard yesterday.

Mother of three, Catherine Agius, 40, was stabbed with a 30 centimetre "butcher's knife" soon after she got off the bus to go to her mother's house in Tarxien where she was living during separation proceedings, Police Inspector Daniel Zammit testified yesterday.

Her estranged husband, 47-year-old Roger Agius, allegedly stabbed her once under her left breast, a blow that proved deep enough to kill her, the court heard.

Mr Agius told the police he was willing to accept that his wife was having an extra-marital affair but would not tolerate that she would take all their property, the officer said.

The court heard that the couple had a house in Fgura but Ms Agius also had a flat in Marsascala, which was given to her by her father before she got married.

The man, with whom the victim allegedly had an affair, remained unknown, the inspector said.

Miriam Milankovic told the police she did not know whether her sister, the victim, was in any other relationship but said that her husband had a lot of problems at work because of his alcohol addiction. This was the case even when the relationship between the accused and the victim had started, the inspector said.

Ms Milankovic also recounted that the accused once told her that if, as a result of the separation proceedings, he did not get half his wife's property, including a flat given to her before marriage, he would stab her, the witness added.

Mr Agius had told the police that on the day of the incident he was on his way to Marsascala to collect sea urchins but decided to stop in Tarxien to buy cigarettes and speak to his wife on the possibility of hammering out an out-of-court amicable separation.

He waited for her on the bus stop in the hope of seeing her and when she was a metre or a metre and a half away from him he said she swore at him. On hearing this, he grabbed her by the arm, pulled her close and stabbed her with a knife he had in a bag, the inspector said.

Inspector Zammit said he had asked the accused why he had not carried a towel but only a butcher's knife in his bag if he was going to the beach. The accused answered he did not need one as he would drip-dry in the sun.

When asked about his alleged alcohol problem, the accused said he did not have a problem but "just liked alcohol".

Ms Milankovic told the police she felt sorry for her sister, who did not even have enough money to feed her kids. She would stay without food and clothes just to provide for them. Indeed, every so often she would give money to her sister to help her cope.

The case continues.

Lawyers Emanuel Mallia and Arthur Azzopardi appeared for the accused.

Lawyers Joseph Giglio, Gianella Caruana Curran, Stephen Tonna Lowell and Gianluca Caruana Curran appeared parte civile.