Wife 'killed then slept with lover'

Philip Croydon's body was found in a hotel bedroom

A wife had sex with her lover within hours of stabbing her husband to death with a cheese knife, a court heard.

Carol Croydon, 37, allegedly stabbed her husband Philip 22 times before tying him up and leaving him naked on the bedroom floor of a hotel.

She later told police her husband had invited her to a swingers party and she had left him with another couple.

Mrs Croydon denies murdering her husband at the Hilton Hotel at East Midlands Airport on 25 April last year.

Nottingham Crown Court was told on Wednesday that Mr Croydon had arranged to meet his wife at the Leicestershire hotel to boost their "flagging" marriage.

The two of them had intercourse together on the sofa in the living room Timothy Spencer, QC Prosecutor

The couple, who lived in Paddock Close, Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire, were both having affairs at the time of the meeting but neither knew of the other's indiscretions, said Timothy Spencer QC, prosecuting.

Earlier in the day Mrs Croydon had booked a room for her lover Nelson Bland at the nearby Travel Inn.

She was said to have had "murder in mind" when she left home that morning, taking with her several men's ties and a scarf.

A four-inch cheese knife used in boardroom meetings at her workplace, Blue 8, near Sandiacre, Derbyshire had also disappeared, the court heard.

Found by maid

Less than an hour after Mr Croydon arrived at the hotel, she had stabbed him to death and trussed him up with the ties and scarf to disguise the killing as a kinky bondage session, Mr Spencer said.

Later that night her lover visited her home, the prosecution said.

Mr Spencer told the court: "The two of them had intercourse together on the sofa in the living room.

"The stark reality is that within eight hours of stabbing her husband to death this defendant was having sexual intercourse with her lover."

Mr Croydon's body was discovered at about 0900 GMT the following day by a hotel maid.

Group sex

Mrs Croydon then concocted a story about a couple called Brian and Linda who they had group sex with, said Mr Spencer.

She told police she had gone to room 328 and another couple called Brian and Linda were there for group sex.

Mrs Croydon said she had sex with Brian while Linda performed a sex act on her husband, the court heard.

She then said she lost her nerve and left the room after changing her clothes.

The trial continues.