Great Baddow Murder accused affirms that the wife was abusing him from

A man accused of killing his wife separated with a table lamp said he was defending “against abuse” at home.

Mark Donovan is in trial accused of murdering Elise Mason in Great Baddow, near Chelmsford, in April 2023.

The 39 -year -old man from Rothmans Avenue, Great Baddow, has suggested that he is innocent for decreased responsibility.

On Monday, it was told Chelmsford Crown Court that the defendant believed that Mason had “control over my life.”

Donovan did not evide on live himself, and instead, the jury members were read of interview extracts conducted with Dr. Raman Deo, a forensic psychiatrist consultant.

The defendant said he had invited Mrson to his house on April 25, a few days before his birthday.

“I was euphoric that day. I climbed the stairs to get their gifts,” said the defendant.

“When I went down, she held something towards me, I think it was a knife.”

Mr. Donovan told Mr. Deo: “I was in my house and defended me from abuse.”

The defendant also said that Mason Mason put him in a dog cage on a previous occasion, in addition to having bitten him, stabbed him and pushed him down the stairs.

“I had control over my life. I was receiving messages at night, some were cruel and cruel, but I would never hurt my wife.”

Prosecutor Andrew Jackson told the jury that there were no disputes that Donovan had a personality disorder.

The defendant was seen walking up and down on the dock during his defense evidence.

Jackson said: “So that this defense or partial defense is applied, the person at the time of the murder must have suffered an abnormality of mental functioning that arose from a recognized mental condition.”

However, Dr. Deo said he believed that Donovan was not suffering an abnormality of mental functioning at the time of murder.

The trial continues.