THIS is the husband who bludgeoned his wife to death with a paving hammer after discovering she was having an affair.

Michael Luke admits killing mother-of-two Johanna Luke at the family home in Willington, County Durham, on August 28 last year.

The exclusive photograph shows the father-of-two enjoying a drink on a night out.

The 45-year-old, who has been remanded in custody since the killing, is on trial at Teesside Crown Court for murder - a charge he denies.

The prosecution claims Luke was an insanely jealous husband who snapped when his 37-year-old wife asked him for a divorce.

He attacked Johanna, an accounts clerk who worked in Durham City, the day after receiving a solicitor's letter telling him the marriage was over.

On the day of the killing, he discovered his wife at the home of her lover, Mark Cole, an ambulance driver, who she had been seeing for three months.

Susan Melton, a close friend of Johanna, told the court yesterday that the couple's marriage had been over for a long time. She said her friend had told Luke the marriage was over several times, but he would not accept it.

But after meeting Mr Cole, she was finally looking forward to starting a new life.

Ms Melton said: "She was a very vulnerable girl and very unhappy.

"She had already said that she was leaving him (Luke), it was not getting through to him, she was frightened. She was frightened of hurting him, frightened of being on her own, frightened of the financial implications.

"Her marriage was over, she had verbalised that on many occasions.

"She was not a woman who was trying to save her marriage and having extra marital affairs. She was taking brave steps to end the marriage."

Ms Melton said she knew her friend had had three affairs in the 18 months before her death.

She said Johanna had not told her husband about the affairs, even though she said the marriage was over, because of their children, Kimberley, 17, and Kieran, ten.

Ms Melton told the jury: "The relationships didn't always fetch her happiness and it was difficult for Johanna.

"She didn't tell him about the affairs, but she had said she was trying to end the marriage.

"She was trying to keep things level for when they did split, and so the kids did not get affected.

"He would not let her go and lead the life she wanted to lead."

Mr Cole, of Devon Drive, Willington, told the court he had known the victim was a married mother-of-two but that she had told him her marriage was over.

The paramedic said: "She told me it was over years ago, that they were living separate lives - but it became very difficult living with Michael Luke.

"She was trying to keep it very private, I was willing to wait until she was ready to tell me.

"She did tell me a few things - like he would follow her all the time, constantly phone her, that he was quite aggressive verbally and was in her face a lot."

Mr Cole told the court that Johanna never gave the impression she was hiding the relationship or that she was worried about being caught.

He said: "Johanna did not come across that it was a big problem. They were leading separate lives."

Luke's daughter, Kimberley, had earlier told the jury that her father's behaviour in the weeks before the killing had been frightening.

The 17-year-old, who cried after being shown a hammer like the one used to kill her mother, said: "I did not hate him but I do now.

"I hate him for what he has done. He would make our lives hell.

"He asked for more chances. He promised he would change.

"There were always lots of arguments and the atmosphere was really bad.

"It was quite frightening."

The jury must decide if Luke murdered his wife.

If he is found not guilty he will be sentenced for manslaughter.

The trial continues.