A JURY has been told a man brutally stabbed his wife in the neck during an argument while the two were preparing food in the kitchen then told a neighbour his family was "ruined".
Aimal Ghouse has pleaded not guilty to knifing his wife of 17 years with the intent to kill her at their Jesmond home on the evening of April 9, 2021.
His two-week trial opened in Newcastle District Court on Tuesday.
Crown prosecutor Brendan Queenan told the jury of 12 men and women during his opening address that when Ghouse allegedly lunged at his wife, grabbed her by the throat, and stabbed her, he did so with the intent to murder her.
The Crown case is that Ghouse, then 38, was cutting up fruit in a William Street unit when an argument with his 34-year-old wife broke out.
The alleged shouting match became physical, the court heard.
"He stabbed her in the neck ... at that point the complainant shrieked," Mr Queenan said.
"She was able to get out of the unit and ultimately find refuge in one of the other units within this complex."
Mr Queenan said neighbours would give evidence about what they saw and heard, as well as a small number of people who were inside the home at the time, medical professionals, and police officers.
He said he expected one neighbour to give evidence that they looked out onto the shared driveway and saw the woman run out of a unit and fall down, and also saw Ghouse run from the home with a knife in his right hand.
The trial heard the neighbour had filmed what he saw in a mobile phone video that will be played to the court.
Mr Queenan said another neighbour would tell the court how they saw Ghouse in the driveway when they got home from work that evening.
When they asked Ghouse what happened, he allegedly said: "I'm ruined, my family is ruined, I'm devastated, this lady has ruined my house, my house has been broken."
Police and paramedics rushed to the scene about 6.40pm and officers found an eight-centimetre knife on the ground, Mr Queenan said.
The alleged victim was rushed to John Hunter Hospital with a stab wound to her upper neck, which had cut her carotid artery, and she remained there for about a week.
Mr Queenan said he anticipated a nurse would give evidence that when she asked the woman what happened to her, she replied: "If I tell the police, my husband will kill me."
The court heard the woman had since told police she couldn't remember what happened, but that her injury was an "accident".
Mr Queenan said he expected witnesses would give conflicting evidence about what they claim unfolded that evening.
"You are going to hear a number of different versions as to what happened on that night ... of course it is a matter for you which version you accept," he told the jury.
Mr Queenan said Ghouse had been taken into custody after his arrest, and the woman and her family had made it clear to police that they didn't want him to go to prison.
During a brief opening address, Ghouse's defence barrister said there was no dispute the woman had been injured.
"The main issue here is who did that wound, and if you find that the accused did that wound, why was it done?" he said.
"Was it intentional, was it accidental, did he even do it?"
He told the jury that if they kept an open mind and listened to each bit of evidence they would be left with "serious doubt" about what is alleged to have unfolded.
He said the defence case was simply that Ghouse was innocent.
Ghouse faces one charge in the alternative, of stabbing the woman with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The trial continues before Judge Peter McGrath on Wednesday.
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