'Horse-whisperer', 70, 'had attacked her husband twice before stabbing "defenceless" 72-year-old in the back during row at their bungalow after years of bickering'

A horse-whisperer had stabbed her 'defenceless' husband twice before he plunged a knife into his back during a row at that bungalow following 'years of bickering', a court heard today.

Christine Rawle, 70, attacked her spouse of 29 years Ian Rawle during a row about money in their isolated bungalow in Knowle, North Devon.

Mr Rawle followed his wife for 100 yards begging her to remove the blade stuck in his back, 'imploring her to take it out' before collapsing in their field, jurors were told yesterday.

As her husband lay dying in their field, the mother-of-three called a 'troubled somewhat devious woman' by prosecutors, is said to have kicked the knife under a stable door before sitting down to wait for the ambulance to arrive.

The court heard Rawle was more interested in putting her dogs away and calling a friend to look after the animals if she was sent to prison.

A friend of her daughter's heard the accused saying: 'I'm going to be in trouble, I have stabbed him. I am going to prison for the rest of my life.' 

Jurors were told Rawle had acted following years of suffering at the hands of her 'nasty and bullying husband'. 

As he lay dying in the field, the woman, who describes herself on social media as a registered horse trainer, has pleaded not guilty to murder and will argue she was a victim of a coercive and controlling relationship.  

Christine Rawle, now 70, stabbed her husband of 29-years Ian Rawle after flying into a 'fit of temper', a court heard today

The hypnotist horse whisperer allegedly stabbed her husband following a row about money a jury was told

Police officers at the scene in at their isolated home in Kittywell Wood in Knowle, North Devon, on August 24 2022

Jurors were told the couple's daughter alerted the ambulance service after the 'unarmed, unprepared 72 year old man' was knifed on August 24 2022.

Exeter Crown Court also heard that Rawle, who pleaded not guilty as she appeared in the dock wearing a grey jumpsuit yesterday, had stabbed her husband on two other occasions before she killed him. 

Opening the case Sean Brunton KC referenced the popular Roald Dahl book, The Twits. He said: ‘It’s about a married couple who delight in making each other’s lives as miserable as possible. 

'They play tricks on each other, they are mean to each other. But they also need each other. While The Twits is a humorous story of fiction, and this case is very real, we say the book serves to illustrate a point.

‘That some marriages, particularly those that have endured for many years, are complex, not always happy and often have hidden depths. But generally each party learns to live with the other, or else leaves.’

He added: 'On at least two occasions leading up to the day of his killing the defendant had actually stabbed him before, once with a fork and once with a knife.'

Jurors were told that Mrs Rawle had attacked her husband twice before, once with a fork and once with a knife. Mr Brunton added: ‘Once she put a hosepipe through the window of her husband’s car and filled it with water. They would slap each other, push each other, call each other nasty names.’ 

Exeter Crown Court also heard that Rawle had stabbed her husband on two other occasions before she killed him

Earlier that day Rawle (pictured with a horse) is said to have made a call to her daughter who said her mother was 'despondent' and talking about divorcing her husband

Opening the case on Monday, he added: 'We say this as clear a case of murder as you are likely to find. This defendant Christine Rawle was having an argument with her husband Ian and picked up a large sharp knife.

'And in a fit of temper she stabbed it into his back without any warning as he was walking away and left the knife sticking into his back as she walks off with her husband following her and imploring her to pull the knife out of his back.

'He followed her 100 yards through their field in North Devon and then collapsed to the ground and a short time later he died from the wound inflicted by that stab.

'His wife then removed the knife and at some point kicked it under the stable door. She then sat there and waited for the police and ambulance to arrive.'

Earlier that day Rawle is said to have made a call to her daughter who said her mother was 'despondent' and talking about divorcing her husband.

She told her child that she was worried about various health issues, which she felt her husband had been unsympathetic towards.

During the call, Rawle is said to have called the father of her children 'mean, weak and unhelpful' before declaring 'I hope the c*** dies'.

At the time of Mr Rawle's death the defendant had been living in their den - an old stable building that had been converted as a property for AirBnB.

The court was told the couple had been arguing about selling some of the land at their small holding, with Rawle claiming it was for a cataract eye operation.

Mr Rawle, however, is said to haev changed his mind and become 'incensed' with his wife.

'That was the argument simmering when Ian Rawle was killed,' Mr Brunton said.

He said she transferred money from their joint account which Mr Rawle solely contributed to, and put it into her private account for her sole use. The court was told she spent money on things for herself, some of them she did not need.

Police officers at the scene in Devon on the day that Mr Rawley was found dead 

The home of the Rawleys, pictured on the day of the stabbing on August 24 2022 

The couple had been married in April 1955 with Rawle's defence alleging that during that time she had become a victim of a controlling and coercive relationship.

Mr Brunton questioned the defendant whether 'her husband was so nasty, so bullying and so abusive towards her that she was somehow compelled to act as she did and justify such an act against a defenceless husband'.

The court were told the Rawales often bickered and wound each other up. Jurors were also told they could be petty and unkind to each other on occasion but Mr Brunton said: 'If anyone was the bully it was this woman'.

He said it was Christine Rawle who was manipulative and making demands not the other way around. 

Mr Brunton said both Rawles had been wed before and Mrs Rawle had three children from her first marriage and they witnessed the 'somewhat dysfunctional relationship' between the Rawles.

Ian Rawle's previous wife and another long term partner said there was nothing odd, unopleasant or bullying about him or his behaviour towards them.

The jury heard Mr Brunton said: 'Quite the contray, he was a mild mannered, thoughful, hardworking and decent man. He was no saint, far from it, he had his faults, but a straight forward man.'

Police officers at the couple's home on August 28 2022 after Mr Rawley was allegedly stabbed

The prosecution added: 'To stab a knife into someone's back without any warning is not an act of self defence. 

'It is not self defence in any conceivable circumstances to simply lose your temper and lash out because you are not getting your own way in a long standing argument

'That is no excuse and no defence to a charge of murder.'

The prosecution rejected Rawles assertion that her husband had been a bully, sexually abusive and treated like a modern slave. 

'She may be a complex, troubled and somewhat devious woman, but she doesn't have a psychological condition that would preclude her from being criminally responsible for murder,' Mr Brunton added.

'He did not torture, enslave or bully her. This defendant was far from being a defenceless or timid woman.'

Both Rawles had been married before and Mrs Rawle had three children from her first marriage. Mr Rawle’s previous wife and another long-term partner said there was nothing unpleasant or bullying about him or his behaviour towards them, the jury heard.

Rawle pleaded not guilty to murder, the jury heard ahead of a four week long trial.

The trial continues.