A MAN who stabbed his wife eight times leaving her with 'horrific' life-threatening injuries has denied trying to kill her.

Prosecutors said that the 'vicious' and 'unprovoked' onslaught started after the attacker came home from the pub 'in a mood'.

A jury heard that the alleged murder attempt in a bathroom came after previous episodes of violence involving threats and 'smashing things'.

Read also: Teenager rushed to hospital after incident in woodland

Mark Lally denies one count of attempted murder and another count of wounding with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.

The 50-year-old of Wootton Road, Abingdon, has already admitted that he stabbed his wife, but denies any intention to kill her.

His trial got under way at Oxford Crown Court today.

Outlining the case to the jury, prosecutor Matthew Walsh said the knife attack was 'unprovoked, sustained and vicious' and led to life-threatening injuries for the victim.

He told jurors: "There is no dispute, no argument, that this defendant attacked his partner as she was at the time.

"Why he did it only he knows – only he knows why he used such violence towards her.

"It is the prosecution's case that when he did use that violence towards her, he intended to kill her."

Read also: PC Harper killers launch appeals against their convictions

Describing the build-up to the attack he said Lally had been at a pub on the night of November 27 last year.

When he returned home, he said, Lally had been drinking and was 'angry' and in a 'mood.'

He said that an argument developed with Lally's wife, with whom he was already going through a divorce.

At about 9pm, the jury was told, Lally launched into what was described as 'extreme violence' towards his wife while she was in a bathroom.

During the attack, prosecutors said, Lally stabbed her about eight times.

Jurors also watched a video recorded interview that she gave to the police.

During that interview and describing the attack, she said Lally had 'pushed' her into a corner in the bathroom, before knifing her.

She said she thought at first he was 'punching' her but the blows later turned out to have been inflicted with a knife.

Read also: Incredible photos show 'tornado' over Oxfordshire village

She said: "I realised that it was a knife punching me because the blood started pouring out. I started screaming to 'please call the police.'

"I started screaming 'he's killed me, I can't breathe.'"

She went on to say that she tried to call the police but was unable to unlock her phone and she later heard Lally speaking downstairs.

She said: "I thought he was also on the phone to the police because he was shouting, saying 'I killed my wife, she's going to bleed to death'."

Lally was arrested and his wife treated for her injuries.

Mr Walsh showed photographs of those injuries to the jury, which were described as 'unpleasant, horrific stab wounds'.

In all, he said, there were approximately eight wounds which were 'life-threatening' and delivered with 'considerable force'.

They were on the woman's collar bone area as well as her back, and as the knife went in it struck her ribs and caused fractures, he said.

She also suffered from punctured and collapsed lungs.

Read also: Dad jailed for brutal regime of cruel punishments against his children

The jury was shown a picture of the blood-stained knife, described as a 'carving knife' from the kitchen, and with a blade measuring 16.8cm in length, and 3.5cm wide.

When Lally was arrested, prosecutors said that he made a series of comments including 'what the f**k have I done, what drove me to that?' and 'how the f**k can I let someone push me to do that?'

During police interview he declined to answer any questions.

Lally denies the two counts he faces and the trial – expected to last about a week – continues.