A well-spoken murderer launched an eloquent storm of abuse against an Old Bailey judge after being convicted of killing his wife after she asked for a divorce.

Bentley Adonis Huggins told Judge Anthony Morris QC: “This is an aberration, a travesty of the rule of law. Therefore, your honour, you have nothing further to say to me.

"You have trampled on me from the beginning of the trial. How dare you enter this matter of discussion with me now, after what you have done throughout the trial. Your honour, you have truly and utterly disgusted me.”

Judge Morris had asked Huggins, who sacked his legal team to defend himself half way through his trial, whether he wanted to appoint a barrister to mitigate for him when he was sentenced.

Jamaican-born Huggins, 41, had been found guilty of waiting for Desire Thomas to return to their Woolwich home after running an errand before launching a fatal surprise attack.

He stabbed her 10 times in the face and neck with a four-and-a-half inch blade before dumping her body face down in a pool of blood on the living room floor.

Huggins then spent two-and-a-half hours getting his story straight before finally calling the police.

He denied murder, claiming his wife was the one who had attacked him. He was remanded in custody for sentencing later.