Firefighter stabbed wife to death

Anthony de Asha and his wife had been married for six years

A firefighter has been jailed for life for stabbing his wife to death at their home on Merseyside.

Anthony de Asha, 49, was ordered to serve a minimum of 15 years for the murder of Joanne de Asha.

De Asha, of Morningside, Crosby, stabbed his wife 17 times when he realised she was no longer in love with him, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Mrs de Asha, 45, told a friend her husband, "wouldn't do anything to me", just hours before he slit her throat.

He had claimed to have been suffering diminished responsibility at the time of the murder in July.

But psychiatrists for the defence and prosecution agreed he was sane and de Asha changed his plea to guilty of murder.

Stuart Driver QC told the court de Asha had a history of violence towards his wife but she had never contacted police until a day before the final attack.

She didn't want him anymore and he couldn't cope with that Alan Conrad QC, defending de Asha

Officers advised her not to return to their home after the couple, who had been married six years, quarrelled and he threw their cat against a banister.

Mrs de Asha, a relationship counsellor, did go back and later texted a work colleague: "I've known him for 12 years. I know he's a drinker but I know he wouldn't do anything to me."

He later told police he interrupted her making a phone call from the conservatory and she "glared" at him.

Mr Diver said: "In his police statement he said he went into the kitchen and looked at the knife block and picked up the knife.

"He put it in the pocket of his shorts and returned to the conservatory.

"After pulling out the knife, his wife ran to the window and shouted 'somebody help me'.

Joanne De Asha died from multiple stab wounds

"A struggle followed and she tried to escape but he blocked her path with a table."

A neighbour raised the alarm after hearing screams, which stopped during the call.

Mr Driver said: "The injuries were inflicted with considerable force."

The injuries inflicted on Mrs de Asha, meant she would have stopped screaming, the court was told.

Police arrived at the house to find her face down in a pool of blood and de Asha bloodstained and smelling of alcohol.

He told officers: "I've slit her throat. It was like I was detached from the whole thing watching it happen."

Alan Conrad, QC, defending, said his client had been under "significant stress" leading up to the murder.

Mr Conrad said de Asha had met his wife at work because she was married to a colleague.

"The deceased had fallen out of love with him.

"It was being made clear to him that she didn't want him anymore and he couldn't cope with that."