Husband aimed knife at wife’s vital organs, court told

Alex de Vos
Lara’s Robert Baxter “consciously, voluntarily and deliberately” stabbed his wife to death, a Geelong court heard yesterday.
During his closing address, Crown prosecutor Ray Gibson said that on August 2, 2006, Baxter deliberately aimed a knife at his wife’s vital body parts as he stabbed her more than 30 times.
Mr Gibson said Baxter, who was filled with “narcissistic rage”, told friends and work colleagues he intended to murder 42-year-old mother Linda Baxter.
“The murder wasn’t out of the blue – there was real motive,” Mr Gibson said.
He told the court Baxter was angry about his wife’s affair and “disappointed his world was changing”.
“He blamed Linda. He called her a slut and a bitch,” Mr Gibson said.
Mr Gibson said Baxter was controlling, dominating and had mentally “bullied” his wife during their 20 years of marriage.
“He said he had dreams of stabbing (Mrs Baxter) and had sharpened the kitchen knives.
“The accused had ideas in his mind of carrying out the killing. He fantasised about it.”
The trial before Justice Jack Forrest was continuing when the Independent went to press yesterday.