A court has heard that a woman stabbed her estranged husband twice after he told her he had put down their pet dogs. Claire Bridger, is on trial at Norwich Crown Court accused of the attempted murder of Keith Bridger following the breakdown of their 40-year relationship.
The jury was told the incident took place after Bridger visited her estranged husband at his home in Norfolk, where he was living separately following the separation. Keith Bridger was treated for life-threatening injuries after being stabbed in the chest and abdomen.
The court heard that the couple had still been attending mediation sessions at the time of the incident and that the marriage had ended with Mr Bridger moving out of the former family home in Taverham, Norfolk.
The court heard that Claire Bridger was unaware the dogs had been euthanised
Prosecutor Peter Gair told the court that the couple had taken in one rescue dog in March 2020, shortly before the start of the coronavirus lockdown, and a second rescue dog around a year later. Following the separation, the dogs had been staying with Mr Bridger.
The dogs were described in court as being “quite noisy” and “quite bitey” and as having “behavioural issues”. Mr Gair said Mr Bridger was unable to keep the dogs permanently at his one-bedroom address and had tried unsuccessfully to rehome them. “He felt there was only one option and that was to have them put down,” Mr Gair said.
The court heard that Claire Bridger was unaware the dogs had been euthanised. On 17 July last year, she went to Mr Bridger’s address in Bramerton to ask if he could pay for the next mediation session and asked, “Where are my dogs?”
When police arrived, Bridger told officers “he killed my dogs” and later said she “just saw red”
Mr Gair said that when Mr Bridger told her they had been “put down”, she “became hysterical”. He told the jury, “She was screaming ‘you’ve killed my dogs’.” He said Bridger then got out of the car with a knife in her right hand and stabbed her husband twice.
Mr Bridger received initial treatment at the scene from a neighbour who is a doctor before being taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where he was treated for “severe” and “life-threatening” injuries.
The court heard that when police arrived, Bridger told officers “he killed my dogs” and later said she “just saw red”. Claire Bridger has denied attempted murder but has admitted an offence of wounding with intent.
