A husband who thrust a kitchen knife deep into his wife's body before stabbing her again in the back has been found guilty of her attempted murder.

It happened in the kitchen of the home in Watford Dorinel Cojanu, 30, shared wife his Daniela, 28.

Cojanu was convicted by a jury of the charge at St Albans crown court on Friday.

The brown-handled kitchen knife, with an eight inch blade, went down through Daniela's right breast, passed through two ribs, through a lung and into her liver.

The mother of three bent forward and was stabbed again just under her left shoulder blade.

During the trial the jury was told the wife was attacked at their home in Lingmoor Drive on Tuesday, June 16 this year.

After she ran screaming from the house a neighbour called an ambulance and she was rushed to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington.

Romanian Cojanu pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and an alternative charge of causing grievous bodily harm.

The couple came to the UK from Romania in June of 2014.

Giving evidence the wife said they struggled financially and her husband started drinking.

She said on Tuesday, June 16 she went to the Citizens' Advice Bureau to ask for help as she wanted a divorce.

Asked by Mr David Matthew prosecuting if she had spoken to her husband about a divorce, she said: "I have mentioned this occasionally while we were fighting.

"I said unless he changed, things could not carry on. He did not like it. He told me once or twice when I asked for a divorce that it would be my last day."

When she returned home she said she went to the kitchen. She said: "He followed me and he was arguing with me.

He was saying I should move out and that social services will come and take the children away from me. He asked for my contribution to the rent. He knew I was not earning."

She said she believed he looked into her bag in the hall and he found an appointment letter from the CAB.

She told the four women and eight men she was cleaning the hob when: "He came back and I heard a noise and he took something like a piece of cutlery from the draining board.

"I was facing towards the hob and when I heard the noise I slightly turned around towards him.

"That is when he cut me. It was a kitchen knife. Everything was very quick. It was the knife I would use very often in the kitchen.

"He cut me on my chest on my right breast. It did not feel that strong. I did not expect him to do that and I didn't feel a very sharp pain, but when he took the knife out there was a lot of blood coming out and I was scared.

"I put my hand on the wound and I leaned over the hob. That is when he hit me in the back. That was very strong. I screamed and that was when I realised I had to escape from the house - to run away.

"He didn't say anything. He left the kitchen. I realised I had to run and ask for help."

Dorinel Cojanu was arrested at the scene.

In an interview, he told the police his wife had caused the injuries herself and that she had tried to stab him.

The jury rejected his account and convicted him of the charge of attempted murder.

Sentence was adjourned until later this week when he will appear back in court to learn how long he must remain behind bars.