A FATHER-OF-THREE who was recovering from a penis enlargement operation killed a prostitute in a ‘pre-planned and clinically executed attack’, a court heard.

The trial of Michael Wenham, 36, of Collingwood Road, Uxbridge, started at Reading Crown Court today.

He stands accused of killing Karolina Nowikiewicz at a flat in Lowestoft Drive, Haymill, in February last year. The woman, who was living in Northolt, had moved to the UK from Poland two years ago and was working as a prostitute to pay for her university studies.

The court heard how married Mr Wenham, who has three children aged six, five and one, had previously bought a pay as you go mobile phone and Stanley knife for the attack.

After telling his wife of eight years he was heading to work on the day of the attack, the IT contractor went to Screwfix to buy the knife along with disposable gloves, plastic sacks and other items, the court heard.

He arranged the prostitute through a website called ‘Adultwork’ and booked an appointment with Ms Nowikiewicz through her ‘secretary’ Monika Gradziel at the Lowestoft Drive address.

Soon after 11.30 he arrived at the flat with a bag, which included the brand new Stanley knife.

He attacked her from behind and sliced open her neck, cutting through the major arteries and her spinal cord. At 11.55pm he left the flat and called police. He told them his name, address and that he had just killed a prostitute, ‘that he had slit her throat’.

He said he needed to hang up to call his wife, Dawn. He said ‘it’s me, I’ve done a stupid thing, I’ve killed someone. I’m really sorry, I’ve killed someone’. He begged her not to tell the boys, the court heard.

The jury was told that Mr Wenham’s wife described him as a ‘stable, loving and supportive’ father. Prosecuting, Alan Blake, said: “Even after she was told of what had happened she has remained loyal to him stating ‘he has been my rock and I love him’.” He added Mr Wenham had travelled to the USA in late 2013 for penis enlargement surgery. The initial operation was not a success and he had taken some further time off work in January to return for more treatment. He was also taking antibiotics.

“This clearly impacted on his sexual relationship with his wife but she was not aware of him frequenting prostitutes, other than on a single occasion before they met,” Mr Blake said. “Her husband was self-conscious about the size of his penis but it had never bothered her.

“Dawn agrees that they had tried various things to spice up their sex life including using whips and a single visit to a swinging club in late 2013. However they never used things like handcuffs or knives during sex.” Mr Wenham denies murder but admits manslaughter.

Mr Blake added: “While accepting therefore he slit Karolina’s neck, and in doing so he intended to kill her, he raises the partial defence of diminished responsibility.” The jury heard a forensic physchiatrist said he considers ‘there is evidence of an extensive history of abnormal sexual practices amounting to multiple paraphilias and paraphilic disorders’. He said the killing can be understood as a progression of those disorders.

However a separate psychiatrist disagreed with that conclusion. The trial continues.