article: A husband accused of trying to murder his cheating wife wrote her an extraordinary letter while remanded in prison asking her to send him a suit for his trial, a court heard yesterday. Joseph O'Riordan, 73, stabbed his 47-year-old wife Amanda eight times after he discovered she had been having an affair with a postman. She was left with life-threatening injuries to her torso, chest, arms and back. Joseph O'Riordan stabbed his wife of ten years Amanda (left) with a seven inch kitchen knife eight times . O'Riordan, who was a councillor at the time, rang an ambulance after the attack in October last year and admitted what he had done during the 999 call. Yesterday it emerged that four months later, while on remand, O'Riordan wrote to his wife from jail asking her to 'get my things together' before for his trial. Meanwhile Mrs O'Riordan, during questioning by her husband's defence team in court yesterday, sobbed: 'I did not want to hurt Joe. I never wanted to hurt him… even now. All of this is my fault because I had an affair.' In the letter, which was posted from prison on February 4 this year, O'Riordan asked his wife to gather some of his belongings and give them to his son, including a 'decent jumper' and his 'beige casual jacket'. He also asked for his 'blue suit' and 'three ties that will go with the suit', which he said he needed for the trial. His letter went on: 'You will be fully aware that I cannot make any mention of the case. 'I hope and pray that your recovery continues to progress and you will always remain in my heart – God bless, Joe.' O'Riordan sobbed as the letter was read out at Brighton Crown Court yesterday. His wife also broke down in the witness box as she gave evidence from behind a screen. The case was adjourned for 90 minutes to give Mrs O'Riordan time to regain her composure. Prosecutor Dale Sullivan asked if she had been expecting the letter and she replied: 'No – I wasn't expecting anything from him.' Earlier, video footage of a pre-recorded police interview with Mrs O'Riordan was played to the court, in which she described her husband as 'passionate and vocally volatile' but said he had never 'laid a finger on her before.' She said she thought he might have suffered from 'mild depression' because he could be 'up one minute and down the next'. During later questioning by O'Riordan's defence counsel Peter Doyle QC, she said she and her husband were 'soulmates'. The couple, from Polegate, East Sussex, met in 1991 and had been married for ten years at the time of the attack, the court heard. Brighton Magistrates' Court heard that four months after attack, while on remand, O'Riordan wrote to his wife from jail asking her to 'get my things together' before for his trial . But Mrs O'Riordan said that last year she felt 'smothered' by her husband and wanted 'more me time.' This was the 'trigger' for her brief affair with postman Nicholas Gunn, who has since moved away from the area. 'It was not something I had ever done before,' she told the court. O'Riordan found out about the affair after hiring a private detective to follow her. He had also asked his friends to watch her. The jury heard that a row had developed between the pair on October 22 while they were visiting Mrs O'Riordan's mother after O'Riordan received a phone call, believed to be from Mr Gunn. Mrs O'Riordan said they then went to a KFC restaurant and in the car on the way home her husband became angry and she tried to get out, but was 'dragged' back and held down. Once the couple were home, she said her husband came into their bedroom brandishing a kitchen knife as he cried: 'You have made me do this. This is all your fault.' Mrs O'Riordan also said that just days before the assault her husband had talked of 'finishing her off and then himself'. She added: 'I just thought that was talk as it was not said in anger. I never read anything into it. It was not said with malice but it was said maybe a week before he attacked me.' O'Riordan was sitting on Polegate Town Council, East Sussex, at the time. He was also president of his local Royal British Legion and was invited to the Queen's garden party in 2013 for helping to arrange parts of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations. O'Riordan has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
highlights: Joseph O'Riordan, 73, stabbed wife eight times after discovering her affair .
  She was left with life-threatening injuries to her torso, chest, arms and back .
  O'Riordan rang ambulance for Amanda and admitted attack in the 999 call .
  Court heard while on remand he asked her to 'get things together' for trial .
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