A husband accused of trying to murder his cheating wife was ready to let her have sex with another man once a month as long as she stayed with him, his trial heard yesterday. A close friend told how Joseph O’Riordan, 74, had confided in him about the extraordinary plan for his 47-year-old wife Mandy. O’Riordan, a councillor and former nightclub owner, stabbed her eight times in a jealous rage after finding out she had been having an affair with a postman. Extraordinary deal: Joseph O'Riordan stabbed his wife of ten years Amanda (left) with a seven inch kitchen knife eight times - yesterday Brighton Crown Court heard he was considering allowing her to have affairs . She suffered life-threatening injuries after being knifed in the torso, chest, arms and back. The jury was also shown dramatic footage of the moment police arrived at the couple’s home to be greeted by a ‘calm’ O’Riordan opening the door. The revelation of his proposal for keeping his wife of ten years came from Alfred Harris. He told how O’Riordan had confided five days before the attack that he believed she was having an affair. O’Riordan was ‘choked up and emotional’ when he said: ‘I think Amanda is playing away. She’s getting her nails and hair done more regularly, she’s been on a diet and doesn’t want sex.’ Asking for a suit: O'Riordan sent his wife this letter from his prison cell . The following day, added Mr Harris, the men met for a pub lunch in O’Riordan’s home village of Polegate, East Sussex. ‘I saw Joe and he told me that Amanda had been seeing someone else – a guy who drove a van. Joe said he loved Amanda to bits and if she wanted to have sex with someone else once a month that would be okay as long as she stayed with him.’ In a statement read to Brighton Crown Court, Mr Harris also described the couple as ‘loving and close’. He was ‘so shocked’ to learn that O’Riordan had attacked his wife at their flat on a residential care home estate. The jury saw images of four police officers, one of whom was wearing a lapel camera, arriving shortly before 10pm last October 22 after racing to the scene. PC Dave Catt said they drew their ‘incapacitating’ sprays fearing the knifeman would be still holding his weapon. They were greeted by O’Riordan wearing a blood-spattered light blue shirt and holding a cordless phone on which he had phoned for an ambulance. Mr Catt said O’Riordan admitted: ‘I found out that she was having an affair and I lost it.’ Mrs O’Riordan was moaning and lying on a bed, holding a towel to her stomach with a deep chest wound and serious wounds to her hand and back. Paramedics arrived moments later and took her to hospital. Jurors looked at two screens as images of her husband’s arrest and subsequent detention at a police station were shown. Growing suspicion: Giving evidence yesterday Alfred Harris – a friend of the couple for more than six years – told how O’Riordan had confided in him that he believed his wife was having an affair . Yesterday, jurors at Brighton Crown Court (above) were shown dramatic footage of the moment police arrived at the couple’s home to be greeted by a ‘calm’ Mr O’Riordan opening the door . PC Stuart Kenway told how, as O’Riordan had opened the door, he ‘appeared calm and composed and the situation was surreal’ as he then said: ‘She is in the bedroom – do you want the knife?’ Officers were directed to a 7in blade with a black handle which was in the kitchen. Dr Stephen Drage, an intensive care consultant with Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, told the jury how seriously Mrs O’Riordan was hurt. ‘It is quite clear she was bleeding to death,’ he said. ‘She underwent life-saving surgery which took six hours.’ O’Riordan denies attempted murder. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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 .
Yesterday Brighton Crown Court heard about deal he was ready to offer her .
He had told friend about the idea while in the pub just days before stabbing .