A row over gospel music turned into a blood bath w

A row over gospel music turned into a blood bath when a dad tried to murder his wife with a carving knife in front of their three children, the Old Bailey heard.

Gary Smalling, 33, became enraged when his wife Natalie, a nurse and dedicated Christian, said she preferred her church music to his reggae, jurors were told.

Their children, aged 10, eight and six, watched in horror as their dad repeatedly stabbed their praying mum before casually walking from the family home in Catford, southeast London.

Before the brutal attack, Natalie, 32, and the children heard him announce: ‘I’ve got two choices – I can kill this bitch or walk out the door.

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Michael Holland, prosecuting, said the couple had been married 11 years.

The marriage had hit the rocks and there was little affection between Smalling, a security guard, and his wife, a part time writer and singer of gospel music.

‘The day before the attack, she rejected a sexual advance from her husband in their bathroom in which he hurt his hand when she retaliated,’ said Mr Holland.

‘The bathroom incident was still on his mind the following day because he made reference to it when an argument erupted in their lounge.

‘He said he dislikes gospel music and took the view that reggae is a better form.

That argument got heated.

‘It is maybe that row which annoyed him, or perhaps it was a deeper anger.

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Mr Holland said Smalling accused his wife of ‘not showing him respect’ and ‘not knowing her place’.

The terrified woman then heard her husband riffling through the kitchen drawers searching for the longest knife, the court heard

Smalling began pacing the hallway muttering to himself about how he would either kill his wife or walk out, it is alleged.

Choking back the tears, Mrs Smalling told her husband she forgave him and that he was scaring the children.

She begged him not to hurt her and began praying, the court heard.

Mr Holland said: ‘He then attacked Natalie with the knife as she sat on the sofa.

He stabbed her twice in the chest, and in the head, chin, arms and legs.

‘He then left the house and his bleeding and seriously injured wife and the children deeply upset.

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He had used such force the carving knife was bent at a right angle, the jury heard.

The couple’s eldest daughter dialled 999 and despite her horrific injuries, Mrs Smalling survived the attack.

Smalling turned himself in just minutes after the attack.

But despite telling police officers he had killed his wife, he later said he couldn’t remember what happened although he knew he had done ‘something’.

Smalling denies attempting to murder his wife at their home at [68] Castillion Road, Catford, southeast London on September 25, last year.

He is now living in [43] Robertson Road, Bristol.

Giving evidence Mrs Smalling wept as she told the court she bled so heavily it felt as though she was having a shower.

She was in the room with her daughter Crystal ten, and sons Jasper and Daniel, aged eight and six, when the row flared.

‘I write and used to perform gospel music every now and again.

I would do bits and pieces for the church,’ she explained.

‘Gary was saying things like gospel music is rubbish, gospel music is no good.

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When his wife remonstrated Smalling told her:’ Shut your f****** mouth.

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‘He was saying he was the head of the house and I should know my place.

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The children started crying and Smalling blamed the victim for starting the argument then went into the kitchen.

His wife said: ‘I started to pray because he was frightening me.

He said to the kids: ”You see this woman? I should kill this woman.

”

Mrs Smalling thought her husband had calmed down and the incident was over.

‘I thought it was finished.

Then I was looking out the window.

The next thing I know he took two steps into the room then he knelt down in front of me.

‘He was looking me in the eye and I felt the knife go into my chest.

Then he put his head down and he was stabbing me blind.

‘When I realised he was not going to stop I tried to get the knife.

When I grabbed it it went through my finger.

‘I was shocked.

I thought this isn’t happening.

I looked at my hand and the blood was pumping out.

‘When I looked at my hand, because he was stabbing me continually he stabbed me in the arm.

‘Then he stabbed me in the head.

I felt the blood streaming down my clothes.

It felt like I was having a shower.

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The trial continues.

ends