Wife who stabbed husband 'extremely fearful' - court

A wife on trial for fatally stabbing her husband in their shared bed told a court she had been "extremely fearful" and thought he would hurt her.

Christine Kekkonen, 36, is accused of murdering Henri Kekkonen, 41, at their home in Baltonsborough, Glastonbury, on 9 May 2024.

She told Bristol Crown Court on Friday that she believed people were watching her through her phone, which led to her being "very scared".

Mrs Kekkonen, who has a history of mental illness, denies murder and told police she often "dissociates" and cannot remember the events of that day.

She told the court that she met Mr Kekkonen online when she was 21 years old.

He lived in Finland at the time but moved to Glastonbury to be with her and they got married in 2011.

Mrs Kekkonen told the court she experienced a dip in her mental health in 2017 and was diagnosed with depressive disorder and suicide ideation.

In 2023, she started to believe she had been hacked and people were listening and watching her through her phone.

"I was extremely fearful of these people and what they will do," Mrs Kekkonen told the court.

She said she "fully believed" the hackers were real.

Louise Sweet, defending, asked Mrs Kekkonen what she had wished for Mr Kekkonen.

"In an ideal world, I would have wanted him to be successful, happy, not be burdened by me being ill," Mrs Kekkonen replied.

On the night of Mr Kekkonen's death, Mrs Kekkonen said she had woken up while her husband was still asleep.

"Then he sat up and went towards me and I was so fearful. I thought he would hurt me," she told the jury.

She said she backed towards her side of the bed and was holding a knife in her right hand, the court was told.

"I pushed him away, I wanted him to get away from me," she said.

Ms Sweet asked her when she noticed that the knife had "made contact" with Mr Kekkonen.

"I realised when I saw all the blood," Mrs Kekkonen replied.

Ms Sweet asked: "Did you kill Henri on purpose?"

Mrs Kekkonen replied: "No, absolutely not."

The trial continues.

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