A woman accused of trying to kill her husband turned against him when he mocked her suicide attempt, telling her she should stop shoving pills down her throat because they were too expensive, a court heard yesterday.

The incident was the latest in a string of abusive exchanges the couple used to have, Police Inspector Carlos Cordina said, pointing out that the husband would provoke and belittle her, calling her names.

On the day of the alleged incident, on November 19, the comment about the pills proved to be the last straw for the woman, who was in a state of desperation. She took hold of a kitchen knife and stabbed him, Mr Cordina said.

Tears rolled down the woman’s cheeks as she sat in the dock listening to the pro-secuting officer testify. He said he went to Mater Dei Hospital’s emergency room after the stabbing and found her in an agitated state.

“She refused to speak to me but, as she calmed down, she asked to see me”, the officer said.

He described her as being very agitated because of the pills she had already swallowed and spoke of the difficulties she had to endure with her husband.

On the day of the alleged stabbing, the two had started fighting again. The matter escalated and she tried to commit suicide by swallowing a load of pills after popping them out of blister packs.

Instead of helping her, her husband told her to stop taking them because they were very expensive, the Mr Cordina testified.

Following the incident, the woman spent some time under psychiatric care in Mount Carmel hospital.

The case continues.

Lawyer Giannella de Marco appeared for the woman.