A banker bludgeoned his wife to death at their horse stables after he "snapped" from all the abuse he suffered, a court heard.

David Pomphret, 51, hit Ann Marie, 49, more than 30 times with the metal crowbar after he "lost control", Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Pomphret, who worked in technology for Barclays, admitted killing his wife but denies murder on the grounds of a loss of self-control.

Unusually, the defence made an opening address to the jury as his trial began.

Richard Pratt QC, defending, said: "What happened was this is a case where a quiet man finally snapped and unhappily he was a quiet man with a tool in his hand. It was a crowbar. It led to him repeatedly striking his wife over the head with a crow bar."

Mr Pratt told the jury of seven women and five men the defendant had been the model of restraint despite facing longstanding "vocal and sometimes violent" abuse from his wife.

Mr Pratt said the jury will hear from the couple's daughter, Megan, 18, who describes her father as "her rock" while her mother would at times call her a "fat slag".

The defendant was a "quiet and calm" individual with an "impeccable" character and "extraordinary powers of self-restraint", the jury heard, despite his wife's abuse of her "useless" husband.