THE former partner of a solicitor who was killed by his new wife after she knifed him through the heart said he had told her he was 'living in hell'.

Criminal defence lawyer David Edwards, 51, died after he was stabbed with a kitchen knife by new bride Sharon Edwards, 42, after returning from Majorca, Manchester Crown Court was told.

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A jury of eight women and four men were told that 'domineering' and 'possessive' Edwards had beaten her husband throughout the course of their brief relationship.

Within two months of the couple marrying in Las Vegas in June 2015, Mr Edwards was dead.

Mr Edwards' former partner, Debra Livesley, told the court: "He (David) said 'my life is hell down there, I'm living in hell'.

"I said 'you need to get out of the relationship, kick her out or leave her'.

"He said 'trust me I can't'. I said, 'if you don't she is going to end up killing you'."

She earlier told the court that she believed Mr Edwards had a drink problem and would fall over when drunk.

During cross examination by David Fish QC he asked Mrs Livesley: "Are you exaggerating your evidence because of your dislike for her (defendant)?"

Mrs Livesley replied: "No definitely not."

Mr Fish asked: "Were you jealous of Sharon Edwards?" She answered: "No."

Mr Fish said: "There were a number of abusive telephone calls between the two of you were there not?"

Mrs Livesey replied: "Yes there was."

The court heard Edwards, who 'perhaps quite liked the idea of being Mrs Edwards, a solicitor's wife', would finish a bottle of wine before her husband went to work and would get taxis to the supermarket to buy more, the court heard.

But Mr Edwards being made redundant and the likely future effect on his income or status "may well have been relevant to Sharon Edwards' increasing resentment towards him" the jury was told.

Edwards denies murdering her husband on August 23, 2015 at their home in Chorley, following a night of drinking in which she allegedly stabbed him for the first time, before he sustained a further, fatal, injury the next day.

The trial continues.