‘I saw Dad hold knife to Mum’s throat at BBQ’

Killer wife suffered violence, jury told

a WIFE had a knife held to her throat by the husband she is accused of killing, their daughter said yesterday.

David Jackson, 78, is said to have used the weapon during a family barbecue.

a court heard how he was violent towards spouse Penelope, 66, on occasions more than two decades ago. Daughter Isabelle Potterton, 31, said he had been struggling to deal with the suicide of his son Gavin in 1998.

Penelope Jackson is on trial for murdering her husband with an eight-inch filleting knife at their bungalow in Berrow, Somerset, following a row in February.

Mrs Potterton told Bristol Crown Court she was around eight years old when three violent episodes took place.

She said: ‘We were all having a barbecue in the garden. I can remember mum [Jackson] saying something, everyone jumping up and then running into the house.

‘I went into the house – upstairs, on the landing by the doorway of mum and dad’s bedroom, dad [Mr Jackson] had a knife to mum’s throat.’ She added: ‘I was taken down the road to mum and dad’s friends. I spent the night there and mum woke me up.

‘She took me home and said something along the lines of: “It will be OK, we talked it through, it will all be fine”.’

Mrs Potterton said on two other occasions where her father, a former lieutenant colonel in the army, had turned violent, the matter was played down.

She added: ‘I got my mum a mug full of chocolates for Mother’s Day and put it in the airing cupboard.

‘Dad woke me up and asked where the mug was. I went and got it and he smashed it in front of me. [another time] I was on the school bus home with everybody on our street. I let myself in – mum was up against the wall of the hallway.

‘Her nose was bleeding and dad had her pinned up against the wall. She was crying. I was told to go upstairs.

‘after that mum packed two suitcases and we went and stayed in a hotel that night. She said we were leaving. To my understanding mum went to be back with dad to work it out.’

Under cross examination Mrs Potterton admitted Mr Jackson’s outbursts had taken place after he learned of his son’s suicide.

Christopher Quinlan QC, for the prosecution, said: ‘The incidents all came after Gavin had taken his life at a time your father was a broken man, trying to wrestle with the loss of his son in those awful circumstances.’ Mrs Potterton agreed with Mr Quinlan’s statement.

The court was further told the Jacksons led a ‘bucolic’ retirement. Mrs Potterton added any disputes between the couple – who both had ‘strong personalities’ – were over ‘trivial’ matters.

The court has already heard Jackson stabbed Mr Jackson to death following a row brought about during a Zoom meal for her birthday. Mr Jackson had complained his wife had made bubble and squeak to accompany the virtual dinner they had with Mrs Potterton and her husband Tom.

The meal ended after the couple disputed who forgot to charge the iPad they were using.

Police body camera footage from the aftermath showed Jackson in her pyjamas telling officers she hoped she had killed her husband.

Mrs Potterton said she and her mother had a telephone conversation in the hours before Jackson is alleged to have killed her husband.

It was prompted by Jackson sending her daughter a text message which ended ‘in case it all goes t*** up’.

Mrs Potterton said: ‘I rang her straight away. I asked if she was OK... She said: “I’m absolutely fine, do not worry I will speak to you in the morning.”’

Jackson admits the ‘unlawful killing’ of her husband but denies his murder. The trial continues.