Wife injured in accident, claims Shrewsbury soldier accused of her attempted murder
A soldier from Shrewsbury accused of attempting to murder his wife of three weeks claimed it was an accident, a jury heard.
John Reeves, aged 36, said that his wife fell onto the gin glass she was drinking from and that he dragged her into the bath to stop the blood from spraying all over the dining room.
The glass cut Beverley Reeve's carotid artery and jugular vein and she could not remember the incident, Stafford Crown Court was told.
Reeves, of Ellesmere Road, Shrewsbury, denies the attempted murder of his wife.
The court yesterday heard closing speeches in the trial of the Royal Dragoons soldier.
Mr Simon Phillips, defending, told the jury that they were a couple happily in love and were looking forward to going away on their honeymoon.
He said: "This is all a swirl of suspicion. The prosecution can't say where or how Beverley was attacked.
"Why would she remain in a relationship with him if he is the thug that's inferred?
"He has been consistent throughout that this was an accident and that must count for something.
"Yes, he is first aid trained but after seven pints and two or three gin and tonics, he probably wasn't thinking straight.
"It's his own partner. Why would he have done this? There's no other motive and it's rather and unlikely weapon."
In his closing statement, Malcolm Morse, prosecuting, said the defendant was trained in first aid and ignored all of the rules he was taught in caring for a casualty.
He said: "He rolls her over and sees it's a catastrophic bleed - something he's trained to deal with - but he makes it a more stressful situation. He did all the things that his training has taught him not to do.
"Mr Reeves said the advantage of the bath was that it would be easier to clean. If that's his first thought, what does that tell you?
"He failed to take the obvious steps. He didn't reach for his phone straight away and dial 999. He dragged her, pumping blood, out of the dining room and into the bathroom."
He also argued that Mr Reeve's argument that Beverley fell onto the glass was not an option.
Mr Morse added: "If what Mr Reeves is saying is true, it must mean Beverley did not do the elementary and instinctive things that would have come naturally to her like reach out and grab hold of something like the chair or curtain."
The jury at Stafford Crown Court is expected to retire to consider its verdict this afternoon.
