An abusive husband who ploughed into his wife with his car in a Marlow street before getting out and stabbing her 12 times with a carving knife has been jailed for the “brutal and vicious” attack.

Believing his wife of 25 years, Rute, had been having an affair, Jose Henriques got into his car – having apparently drunk around 15 cans of alcohol – on November 11 last year and went to find her as she walked down The Chase to her workplace nearby.

The 53-year-old Portuguese national smashed his silver VW Golf into her as she walked to her cleaning job, knocking her to the ground, before getting out – armed with a 30cm knife and a knife sharpener - and stabbing her multiple times.

The frenzied attack left her with deep wounds in her cheek, left arm and shoulder – and one under her left arm.

After stabbing her, he got back into his car and was seen driving backwards and forwards trying to hit her again – but she was saved by concrete bollards.

Screaming and covered in blood, Rute managed to escape and went to her workplace, where her daughters and paramedics were called.

Jailing him for 11 years and four months for attempted murder at Aylesbury Crown Court today (Wednesday), Judge Francis Sheridan said it was “only by the grace of God” that none of Rute’s vital organs were pierced in the brutal attack.

After Rute managed to escape, Henriques drove straight to Marlow Police Station to hand himself in.

On the drive there, he called his daughter Vera’s partner, apologising for what he had done and saying he had killed his wife.

He left a voicemail for his daughter Tania, saying: “I have done it. I threw the knife and sharpener in a bush. I’m sorry.”

In a voicemail to Vera, he said he had “made a big mistake”, adding: “My head isn’t working today.”

In the message to Vera’s partner, he said: “You have always been good to me but I had to sort this s*** out, she has f***** my whole life.”

When he got to Marlow Police Station, he told an officer: “I’ve done my wife.”

He was taken to High Wycombe Police Station but gave ‘no comment’ answers in an interview under caution.

But he had earlier admitted to an interpreter he had stabbed his wife because he found out she was having an affair, adding that his “only regret” was for their autistic 16-year-old son who relied on them both for care.

The court heard there was a background of “emotional abuse”, which had, on one occasion, turned physical in 2015.

Prosecuting, Alan Blake said there had been a number of occasions in the past where Henriques had abused his wife – including one where he launched a verbal attack on Rute and two friends she had round her house, calling them “w*****”.

The friends were forced to leave by the back door and a neighbour called 999.

When an interpreter listened to the 999 call, she could decipher a number of threats made by Henriques to his wife – including “keep quiet, no one will miss you” and “let the police come…. You will see if I won’t f*** you up”.

Rute also told police that on September 4 last year, they had an argument where he had put his hands around her throat before a friend intervened.

After that incident, the couple, who have three children, were living apart – with Henriques moving into Tania’s home.

On the day of the attack, Jose, Tania, Rute and her friend Sonia had all been at Tania’s house. At around 4pm, Rute and Sonia had returned to her home, where they sat drinking coffee together until her son returned from school.

The court heard that although he made no direct threats, daughter Tania said he made “odd” comments, including that he “loved her mother but she was destroying his life”.

He left Tania’s shortly before 6pm and went to the marital home – but Rute had already left for work.

Tania said she had received a call from her boyfriend saying: “I think your dad is going to kill your mum”.

In a victim impact statement, Rute said the attack had left her scared to go out alone, adding that she was still suffering pain from her injuries and had been left with nerve damage.

However, at Wednesday’s court hearing, she pleaded with Judge Sheridan for a lesser sentence, adding that he had been a good father and a good worker and her son had been suffering without his father.

Defending, Guy Wyatt said Henriques had shown “contrition” for his actions and that, at the age of 53, he had never had a police record before this attack. He also pleaded guilty to attempted murder at a hearing in December.

He said: “He fully regrets his actions… he has a full understanding of the impact of his actions on others.”

Sentencing, Judge Sheridan said it would be down to the Home Secretary to decide whether, as an EU national living in the UK since 2013, Henriques was deported after serving his 11 years and four months jail term.

He appeared via video link from HMP Bullingdon and the court hearing was heard through Skype, with his family watching from Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court.

Judge Sheridan said: “It was a brutal and vicious planned attack. The defendant put his intoxication level at ’10 out of 10’. This is a case of the most wicked form of domestic violence – it is not a case of angry words or actions.

“He had armed himself with a carving knife and a sharpener and the knife was used to stab his wife on 12 occasions. He drove his car directly at her to knock her over and while she was disabled as a result, he got out of the car and stabbed her again and again.

“It was by no means simply spontaneous. Vital organs were missed only by the grace of God. His wife has been left with residual nerve damage and ongoing psychological damage.

“The defendant was under the influence, although I don’t think he was drunk and incapable because he drove to the scene knowing his wife would be making her way to work.

“His motivation was a perceived infidelity by his wife about which I make no further comment because I do not know whether that is justified or not. Whichever it is, the injuries she received were totally unjustifiable."