Restaurant chef 'hacked at wife's neck - leaving her head almost completely severed from her body'

A restaurant chef brutally murdered his estranged wife by hacking at her neck with a knife - leaving her head almost completely severed from her body, a court heard.

University student Shana Cover, 34, was found slumped against a sofa in a pool of blood after being killed at her home on August 14 last year.

Her former husband Owen Williams, 50, is charged with her murder and went on trial at Warwick Crown Court on Tuesday.

Jurors were told Williams had gone to Shana's flat in Rugby, Warwickshire,while on his way home after a day shopping in the town.

There he launched a "savage and determined attack" which left his ex-wife almost decapitated, the court heard.

The body of the Coventry University student was not discovered until a week later and Williams was arrested and charged with her murder.

Opening the case, prosecutor Peter Grieves-Smith said: "We start on August 14, when a parcel was delivered to Shana Cover.”

"She signed for it at eight minutes past three, and the driver described her as quite jolly.”

"She stayed within that address during the course of the afternoon, and her last phone call ended at 5.34pm.”

"The prosecution case is that within minutes of that she was dead, killed in her own home.”

"Her attacker had almost completely severed her head from her body, which was found a week later on August 21.”

"People had been trying to get in touch with her, without success, which led to people going to her home and forcing entry."

Mr Grieves-Smith said there was no evidence her killer had broken in or that it was a burglary that had gone wrong - because her laptop and other items were still there.

The jury of seven women and five men heard the only things missing were the flat keys and her two phones.

Williams, who worked as a chef at a Harvester restaurant near his home, was arrested that day.

He was granted bail while the investigation continued and his car was taken by the police to be examined.

Mr Grieves-Smith added: "In it was an air freshener, and on that was found the blood of Shana Cover.”

"The boots he was wearing were also taken, and were found to have the blood of Shana Cover on them; and in due course his fingerprints and his footprints were found in the flat.”

"The defendant was arrested again on August 27.”

"A knife was found in his garage, a knife which had the blood of Shana Cover on it."

Mr Grieves-Smith said officers also examined Williams's claim about his movements on the day - and CCTV footage and mobile phone analysis show he had lied.

He told the court: "The police investigation did not reveal any witnesses who saw the killer enter or leave the block of flats, but there are a number of strands of evidence.”

"The prosecution case is that examination of those strands of evidence will make you sure of his guilt.”

"Shana Cover was murdered in her own home .”

"She was killed as a result of a savage and determined attack, and her body lay undisturbed for a week.

"The key issue in this case is whether the prosecution has made you sure it was this defendant who was responsible."

The court heard Williams and Shana, who also worked at Rugby St Cross Hospital, married in Jamaica in 2007 before coming to Britain the following year.

Williams, from Brownsover, Warks., denies murder.

The trial continues.