A 30-year-old Gloucester man accused of trying to kill a man he believed was having an affair with his wife had first searched the internet for murder methods - and also for information about the likely length of a prison sentence and what life in jail would be like, a jury was told yesterday (October 17).

Rowan Lee, of Sidney Street, Gloucester, is alleged to have deliberately crashed into the back of Phillip Talbot's car and then attacked him on April 19, 2021.

Prosecutor David Scutt told a jury at Gloucester Crown Court on Monday (October 17) that Mr Lee's motivation for the 'concerted and planned attack' was that he suspected that Mr Talbot was having a relationship with his wife Georgia Lee, who was a colleague of his at work at Gloucestershire Airport, Staverton.

Mr Scutt said: "In the days prior to the planned attack, Mr Lee carried out searches on the internet in which he looked for injuries caused by grievous bodily harm.

Mr Scutt added: "Mr Lee's phones were examined, and it was discovered that Mr Lee had allegedly delved further into his research and began looking for references to killing and murder.

"He made searches on April 16, 2021, to see what it would be like 'spending life in solitary confinement in prison' and 'going to prison for murder'.

"Mr Lee also searched for 'severe depression after wife cheated' and 'I want to kill the man my wife cheated with' along with 'how easy is to decapitate somebody?' and 'chopping up an animal with an axe'.

"His last internet searches were for 'preparing for prison' were timed at 11.28am on April 19, the morning of the attack, and he viewed a number of related YouTube videos at 2.42pm."

Mr Scutt said that on April 19, the defendant's Ford Focus was picked up by automatic number plate recognition at 12.22pm in the area where Mr Talbot worked.

"At 4.25pm Mr Talbot leaves work and within five minutes Mr Lee crashes into the back of his Vauxhall Astra car on Bamfurlong Road," said the prosecutor.

"Having had his car rear-ended by the defendant's Ford Focus, Mr Talbot got out of his vehicle and saw Mr Lee get out of his car and he suggested that they move onto the grass verge.

"But before Mr Talbot could comply, he saw Mr Lee pull a knife out of a sheath and it was now in his hand.

"Mr Talbot immediately went into a panic mode. He instantly felt a sense of unbridled terror as he retreated back to his car as Lee shouted at him 'You don't know who I am, do you?'

"He then told him that he was Georgia Lee's husband, 'the woman whom Mr Talbot had befriended at work'.

"Mr Talbot managed to get into the driver's seat of his car and closed it. Mr Lee tried to pull the door open, but Mr Talbot managed to grab the inside handle.

"But as Mr Lee had more leverage than Mr Talbot, he managed to open the door. Once it was opened Mr Lee is alleged to have punched Mr Talbot with one hand and stabbed him in the stomach with the knife he held in the other hand.

"Mr Talbot did all he could to defend himself and lashed out with his hands arms and feet, shouting at Mr Lee to stop.

"Somehow he managed to grab the hand that had the knife in it and dislodged it and threw it in the back of his car. He told Mr Lee to leave and tried to drive away.

"But as Mr Talbot started to move off Mr Lee followed behind, and after a distance of around 100 yards Mr Lee allegedly rammed the car again near to the Badgeworth Road junction, spinning Mr Talbot's car completely round.

"Lee then allegedly drove into Mr Talbot's car for a third time and this time Mr Talbot's Astra went into a ditch.

"Mr Talbot then saw Mr Lee running towards him with an axe in his hand. The defendant shattered the driver's window with the axe and Mr Talbot moved over to the front passenger seat, saying 'You're going to kill me, I'm going to die'.

"Mr Lee said he didn't care and continued to swing the axe at Mr Talbot.

"Mr Talbot then grabbed the child seat from the back to fend Mr Lee off and he used it as a shield. He then saw other people intervening, and the attack ended when Mr Lee left the scene.

"Mr Talbot was taken out of his car by concerned people who had witnessed the attack. They gave him medical attention by compressing his wounds while others bandaged him."

The jury heard that Mr Talbot, believing he was dying, told his rescuers to tell his wife and his daughter that he loved them.

Paramedics and a doctor from an air ambulance were called to the scene and once stabilised, Mr Talbot was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol by road ambulance. He was discharged from hospital two days later.

Mr Talbot had received significant injuries to his hands and forearms as well as suffering a knife wound to his stomach, said the prosecutor.

The jury was told that Mr Talbot had been a 'shoulder for Georgia Lee to cry on' when she was suffering strife from her husband. Mr Talbot subsequently left his job and obtained a new position at the airport.

The jury heard that the axe was retrieved from Mr Lee's garden, and his car was found abandoned in Eastern Avenue. Mr Lee gave a no comment interview to police after being arrested.

Mr Scutt concluded: "It is the Crown's case that Lee, by his actions, had intended to kill Mr Talbot. He allegedly used his car as a weapon on more than one occasion, and intentionally used a knife until he was disarmed. He allegedly used an axe in a carefully planned trap for Mr Talbot."

Kannan Siva, defending told the jury: "Mr Lee has admitted attacking Mr Talbot, but he didn't intend to kill him. He wasn't trying to kill him. He had already prepared himself for prison.

"What he intended to do is what he has already admitted to seriously wounding Mr Talbot. He has pleaded guilty to this.

"At the time of the attack Mr Lee was depressed and was suicidal because he believed his wife was cheating on him.

"By April 18, the day before the incident, he had dismissed his thoughts of killing Mr Talbot and focused on making him suffer. He had made internet searches for 'cutting somebody's fingers off' and realised this would be punished for grievous bodily harm with intent. He made internet searches to find out what the prison sentences for this offence would be.

"He had the intention of chopping Mr Talbot's fingers off as he believed these hands had been all over his wife.

"He didn't want to kill Mr Talbot, but had only intended making him to suffer. The wounds to Mr Talbot's hands were the deepest of all his injuries. The axe use was to inflict these wounds."

Mr Lee has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Mr Talbot on April 19, 2021, but has admitted maliciously wounding him with intent to do grievous bodily harm in Bamfurlong Road, Staverton, on April 19, 2021. He has also pleaded guilty to being in possession of two offensive weapons, a knife, and an axe, in Bamfurlong Lane without reasonable excuse.

Lee has also admitted to driving dangerous in a black Ford Focus in Bamfurlong Lane on the same date. He further admitted not having a valid driving licence or third-party insurance on the vehicle.

The trial continues today (October 18).