Killer, 42, who hacked his wife to death with an axe tries to take his own life in the dock as he is jailed for 21 years

An axe-killer attempted suicide in the dock yesterday after a judge jailed him for 21 years for the brutal attack on his wife.

In dramatic scenes, Rafal Winiarski produced a concealed blade and slashed at his wrists in front of the judge, lawyers and court staff.

Security staff are understood to have restrained the 42-year-old, who beat his wife Malgorzata Lechanska, 37, in the kitchen of their home while their seven-year-old daughter played outside in the garden.

The defendant tried to kill himself as the judge concluded his sentencing at Norwich Crown Court in Norfolk and ordered: 'Take him down.'

An investigation has been launched into how he was able to obtain the blade and smuggle it through tight security into a packed courtroom.

Rafal Winiarski attempted suicide at Norwich Crown Court yesterday after a judge jailed him for 21 years for killing his wife

Malgorzata Lechanska, 37, was beaten to death by Winiarski at their home in Lake Close, Shipdham, Norfolk, on August 1, 2021

Winisarski's attack on his wife with an axe and knife at their home in the village of Shipdham in August 2021 left her with 17 wounds, including fractures to the skull and multiple defence wounds.

The violently jealous husband planted secret cameras in the property after becoming convinced she was having an affair.

Judge Anthony Bate told him yesterday it had been a 'wicked and brutal assault' during which he had 'ferociously attacked her with two weapons'.

He added: 'It is clear that you intended to kill her. This was not a spontaneous attack.'

Winiarski was initially charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Medical assessments concluded he was suffering from paranoid psychosis with delusions of jealousy at the time of the killing and his 'rational judgement had been significantly impaired'.

Police were called to the family home after a neighbour called 999 to report a man shouting and a female screaming, while a young girl outside the property looked 'distressed'.

Officers found Winiarski sitting on the sofa looking at the television, having changed out of his blood-soaked clothes. His wife's body lay on the kitchen floor nearby.

A blood-stained axe was found on the worktop and a knife, that was missing the tip, was on the floor.

Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones said: 'The force used to kill her can only be described as brutal.'

Winiarski moved to the UK from Poland with his wife and two young daughters in 2014, the court heard.

Ms Karmy-Jones said his behaviour was driven by his obsession that his wife was cheating on him as he was a 'suspicious and controlling man'.

He had a history of mental health problems that was exacerbated by drink and drugs, leaving him increasingly unstable.

Police at the scene after Malgorzata Lechanska was axed to death by her husband Rafal Winiarski, 42, at their home in Shipdham, Norfolk 

The windows in the house had been nailed shut and the couple's elder daughter, who was at work when her mother was killed, revealed there had been previous incidents including threats with a knife.

Winiarski claimed in police interviews that it was his wife who had become increasingly aggressive.

He said he had not intended to kill her but lost his temper after believing she had posted 'bad things' about him online.

Andrew Spence, defending, said his client had a complex mental history which had left him 'substantially impaired' and was suffering from a 'morbid jealousy'.

Jailing Winiarski, Judge Bate added: 'You pose a significant risk to the public, especially any future partners.'

Detective Inspector Alix Wright, who led the investigation, said afterwards: 'This was a horrific attack by Rafal Winiarski against his wife.'