A jilted husband attacked his wife's lover with a knife after finding them in bed together, a court heard.

Paul England discovered his wife Julia Wheadon in bed with Marten Moore after kicking in the love rival's front door, Lewes Crown Court was told.

Ms Wheadon, 25, told how she ran out naked, fearing England would stab her with the Commando-style dagger.

She saw England stab her lover, she said, as she demonstrated how he had thrust the blade in and out.

She said she had moved in with Mr Moore after walking out on her unhappy four-year marriage.

She told the court her husband had been domineering and, at times, violent before she eventually decided to flit.

She left him on January 18 to stay with Mr Moore but said she was bombarded with emails and texts from her husband begging her to return and threatening to kill himself if she did not.

Ms Wheadon was still at Mr Moore's flat when England came after her six days later, bursting into the flat at 8.30am armed with the seven-inch dagger.

She said: "I thought Paul would stab me. I didn't see anything else.

"I ran out of the flat. I was not wearing anything at all. I went to the flat next door but there was no one there so I went to the next one and a lady took me in."

Ms Wheadon said she was not injured in the attack.

As she waited in the neighbour's flat for emergency services, she heard England shouting through the letterbox.

She said: "He was shouting that he loved me."

Earlier the jury heard from Mr Moore, a bank worker, who told how he needed emergency treatment for potentially life-threatening stab wounds to his chest and abdomen after the attack.

Ms Wheadon, who works for a pharmaceutical company, was giving evidence behind screens on the second day of the trial.

England, 37, of Bedford Road, Horsham, has denied attempting to murder Mr Moore at his flat in Bishopric Court, Horsham, on January 24, this year.

He has also denied wounding with intent to cause Mr Moore grievous bodily harm and aggravated burglary with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm on Ms Wheadon, who has since divorced him.

The trial continues.