A woman who is on trial for stabbing her husband was caught breaching a restraining order under the nose of a judge while in court.

At Aylesbury Crown Court this morning (Monday) Zuzana Hastings, of Hopcrofts Meadow in Milton Keynes, was due to be sentenced after she pleaded guilty to wounding her husband, Tim Hastings, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The court heard how the 43-year-old cut “right to the bone” when she wounded her husband’s forearm with a kitchen knife on August 29 last year.

Throughout the proceedings, Mr Hastings has not been supportive of the prosecution’s case and immediately after the incident had told hospital staff that he had cut himself by accident.

Ahead of going to trial, however, Mrs Hastings admitted the offence and was due to be sentenced today.

In the courtroom, Mrs Hastings was chided by the judge, Bal Dhaliwal, when she was caught speaking to her husband while she was in the dock and he was nearby, sat in the public gallery.

The judge informed the court that Mrs Hastings had been issued a restraining order preventing her from communicating directly or indirectly with her victim unless there is a member of his family present.

As there was no family member in the courtroom, the judge found that Mrs Hastings had breached her restraining order.

Judge Dhaliwal said: “You were instructed not to contact Tim Hastings and you have now done so in front of me in the courtroom.

“If that’s not blatant I don’t know what is.”

Although Mrs Hastings was due to be sentenced this morning, a  disagreement between the defence and prosecution over whether she committed the offence “deliberately” or “recklessly” is holding up proceedings.

In response to the restraining order breach, judge Dhaliwal denied Mrs Hastings bail, meaning she will be remanded in custody until the sentencing is rearranged.