A WOMAN accused of murdering her partner told police he stabbed her in the back before she plunged the kitchen knife through his chest.

Cordelia Farrell denies the murder of Wayne Coventry after she stabbed him through the chest in the kitchen of his brother's home in Humphrey Avenue, Bromsgrove.

The jury was read transcripts and played video footage of the 38-year-old's police interviews at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday as she gave an account to officers about why she had stabbed her partner on October 14 last year. We have previously reported how the blade penetrated to a depth of 9cm, piercing Mr Coventry's aorta. He collapsed and died within a minute or two.

On the day of the alleged murder Farrell told officers that Mr Coventry had hidden her suitcase, mobile phone, money and bank card because he had not wanted her to leave.

She wanted to go, she said, because it was her son's birthday, telling police she should have left the day before as the situation was 'going from bad to worse'.

She said Mr Coventry had thrown chewing gum at her face and pushed her, ripped up her clothes and gave his nephew a knife and told him to 'stab me and kill me'. She described being kicked in the leg by Mr Coventry on the stairs and her scratching his face and pulling his hair. "We was in a rage" she said.

Farrell said Tony Marks had whispered something in Wayne Coventry's ear before her partner tried stabbing her in the back as she stood in the kitchen.

"He has got a kitchen knife in my back. If I never had two coats on I probably would have a stab wound" she said.

Farrell told officers she could feel the point of the blade in her back but accepted she suffered no injury.

Describing the moment she picked up the knife from the block, Farrell said: "I just picked it up and swung and that's it. Then I let go of it."

Farrell told officers it was 'just a reaction, not to harm him'. Asked if she seen or felt the blade hit anything she said: "No - I just seen blood and I said to Mandy (Marks) 'he's tried to stab me'. Sean got on the phone straight away."

She said Mr Coventry did not scream or shout but that Tony Marks did and that Amanda Marks and Sean Coventry 'came running in'. Mr Marks was attempting to stop the flow of blood, she said.

She told police she thought she had just dropped the knife. When asked if Mr Coventry was still holding the knife she said she did not know but thought he had dropped it.

"Was your intention to cause him harm?" one of the officers asked her.

"No. No. No" she said.

"Was it your intention to kill him?" a police officer asked.

"No - I never ever thought I would kill anyone in my life" she replied.

Farrell added: "As much as you go through your ups and downs I still loved the man. Why would I want to kill him?"

She said she felt 'in danger' and 'scared'.

Farrell of Dainton Grove, Birmingham, denies murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.

She further denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm on September 11 last year.

The trial continues.