Man tries to 'smother wife with pillow'

Clive Wille, 56, said "die, you b****" as he held down wife Sue on the bed at their home in Addiscombe, Croydon, south London, in April, jurors were told.

Wille twice bit her during the struggle before stopping and dialling 999, said Sally Halkerston, prosecuting.

The court heard that he would later tell officers: "I want to plead guilty to attempted murder."

Miss Halkerston said Wille had straddled his wife and used the pillow "with quite some force" and for "at least a couple of minutes".

"He didn't just mean it as a joke or to teach her a lesson. He really meant it. He meant to kill her," she said.

Wille denies attempting to murder his wife but has admitted a count of threats to kill, jurors were told.

The court heard that he had rung her earlier in the day and was "shouting and screaming" about a problem with their bank account.

She came home from work and went to bed and later when he returned to the house he sat down next to her.

Miss Halkerston said: "He tried to talk to her about money issues. At this stage the defendant was calm. However, this changed when Mrs Wille told him that she could not cope any more and wanted a divorce. He became angry and threatening."

Wille said "I am going to kill you b****" and straddled her, sitting on her legs, the court heard.

"He forced the pillow over her face using his arm, according to Mrs Wille. He used quite a lot of force. She couldn't breath properly and turned her head sideways to try to get air," the court heard. "The defendant kept saying, 'I'm going to kill you' and 'die, you b****'."

In the struggle Wille bit his wife on the arm and the hand, the court heard.

But he then stopped what he was doing, got off her, and went next door to the living room, jurors were told.

Wille called police. He told officers he was on medication for depression and had been drinking, the court heard.