A jury hearing the trial of a man charged with attempted murder of his wife in Norwich has been sent home for the weekend.

Paul Brine, 66, is alleged to have carried out a knife attack on his estranged wife and her friend in an alleyway on Riverside Road after she rejected his pleas to have him back.

Norwich Crown Court heard Brine and his wife had been living apart for a few weeks after almost 40 years of marriage when he turned up to remonstrate with her in November, last year, and told her he was going to murder her.

Brine, of Randell Close, North Walsham, has denied attempted murder of his estranged wife on November 8, last year.

He has admitted one count of unlawful wounding against his wife's friend.

The jury went out for about an hour on Friday and will resume its deliberations on Monday.

Brine however has claimed he was going to kill himself and said the two women were injured when they tried to wrestle the knife from him.

Judge Stephen Holt summed up the case to the jury of eight women and four men before sending them out.