A man accused of murder allegedly bludgeoned a mum-of-four from Medway to death, before stabbing her in the face and neck, so he could move in with his lover.

Nigel Jackson has previously admitted burying the body of his wife Brenda Davidson, 72, under the patio of her Algarve home, which she shared with him.

The couple moved to Portugal just over 10 years ago from their home in Thames View, Cliffe Woods.

On Monday, Jackson, 60, went on trial abroad.

He is accused of burying his common-law wife of 27 years near to a patio in the back garden, before covering the grave with artificial grass, the Daily Mirror reported.

The property manager struck up a relationship with Vanesa Milheiro, 42, six months before Brenda’s death.

It is also alleged he posed as Mrs Davidson by sending a string of messages to her son Dean to say she had left Jackson and was going travelling in Europe and America with a new partner, called Erik.

Jackson told the court in Portimao that his wife, who had undergone surgery for cancer, may have taken her own life.

He said: “When I arrived home, from golf, she was on the floor... I assumed she’d committed suicide.

“She was talking about it all the time. She didn’t want to continue living with cancer.

"When I arrived home, from golf, she was on the floor... I assumed she’d committed suicide" - Nigel Jackson

“We had discussed what we wanted to do if either of us died and decided we wanted to be buried next to the animals in the garden.

“I honoured Brenda’s wishes. Sadly she died first.”

The former Gravesend taxi driver claimed he couldn’t remember the date of Mrs Davidson’s death but said, “I know Lewis Hamilton became world champion on that weekend”.

State prosecutors say the burial was a deliberate attempt to cover up Brenda’s death so that Jackson could live off her wealth.

Jackson is charged with making fraudulent payments with her bank cards, selling off her jewellery and using Tippex to delete her name from the deeds of the property she owned and replace it with his.

Brenda’s son Dean described Jackson’s claim his mum committed suicide as “just another of his made-up stories”.

He added: “He’s never told the truth all the time I’ve known him.

“I would class him as a habitual liar.

“He’s a desperate man in a desperate situation.”

When asked if the wounds on Brenda’s body could be the result of suicide, police chief Carlos Pimenta said it was “impossible”.

He said traces of blood found on the walls and furniture indicated there was a fight.

Jackson denies murder, desecrating a corpse, theft, two counts of credit card misuse and computer fraud.

The trial continues on December 15.