Pensioner on trial over death of wife, 81 A QUEENSLAND pensioner accused of killing his 81-year-old wife with a hammer said she attacked him with the tool first, a court has heard. Anthony John Phillips, 71, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife of 26 years, Joan Phillips. Police found Mrs Phillips' body in their home in a residential village for over-50s at Bribie Island, north of Brisbane, on June 20, 2011. She was lying on the bedroom floor with a deep gouge to her forehead and a small pool of blood next to her head, paramedic Scott Brady told the Supreme Court trial in Brisbane on Tuesday. It was revealed on Tuesday that Phillips, who pushed a walking frame to and from his seat in the dock, told the detective who investigated the case he'd had a "blue" with his wife and she'd called him lazy. She came at me with a hammer and I hit her back. I've got nothing to hide," Phillips was heard telling Detective Senior Constable Laithe Wheeler in a recorded interview played to the court. The former concreter told the detective he'd hit his wife in the head and then hit her "a couple" more times after she scratched him on the face. He said his wife had told him she'd kill him if she had the chance. Phillips told the detective he left his injured wife on her bedroom floor after she told him she didn't want an ambulance. He said he thought she had been frustrated with him. Earlier, the court had heard Phillips in another recorded police interview say he'd been "slack" and tired since having an operation. A hammer which had been found under Phillips' bed was shown to the jury. Under cross examination, Mr Brady agreed with defence barrister Bruce Mumford that Phillips had appeared surprised when told his wife was dead.