A MAN who stabbed his wife with a carving knife in a drunken argument about an overcooked chicken did not mean to cause her serious harm, a jury has found.

Russell Worthington, 61, was cleared of causing grievous bodily harm with intent at Salisbury Crown Court today after a three-day trial.

But the jury unanimously found him guilty of unlawful wounding and he is due to be sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on February 16.

Mr Worthington was charged after his wife of 33 years, Gail, was found with a knife wound to her abdomen at their home in Beverley Hills Park in Amesbury on August 11, 2016.

She spent five weeks in intensive care after emergency services found her bleeding on the sofa "with part of her bowel protruding from a single stab wound", the court heard.

Her husband had called 999 and said: "Sorry to bother you, but I've just killed my wife."

"I've stabbed her with a carving knife.

"She's really f****d me up, I just snapped.

"I just picked up the knife and thought 'f**k you' and I stabbed her."

But the next day he told police he could not recall making the comments because he had been drunk, after the pair had shared a whole bottle of vodka.

The court previously heard that "all hell broke loose" when Worthington took the chicken out of the microwave and placed it on a chopping board.

He told the court that after inspecting the bird, his wife had verbally abused him, hit him three times in the head and "charged at him" while he was holding the knife, before turning and slumping on the ground.

"I thought that she had hurt her back but then I saw there was a cut and blood pouring through so I called 999," he said.

He said he had no intention of murdering his wife and that he loved her.

Causing GBH with intent carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, while the lesser charge of unlawful wounding is punishable by up to five years in jail.