Anita Anderson (52) was murdered on the day she bought herself a dress to wear when she accompanied husband Malcolm (54) to a Christmas party last year.

She had no idea he had pledged his future to colleague Claire Jackson (26).

Miss Jackson fell in love with Anderson after he became her boss at the Norfolkline haulage company in Whittlesey, where he was the firm's UK operations manager.

Anderson was so desperate to be with Miss Jackson, who called him her "silver fox", that he plotted with another workmate, John Height, to "get rid" of his wife.

Mrs Anderson, was beaten, stabbed and thrown into the River Welland – possibly while still alive – where her body was later found trapped under a tractor tyre.

Anderson, of The Mill, Kirton, Lincolnshire, admits murdering her last December, but Height (38) of Driffield Way, Woodston, denies the charge.

Nottingham Crown Court heard yesterday how, minutes after killing his wife, Anderson phoned Miss Jackson claiming she had driven off after they had rowed.

Anderson then spent the remainder of the night and much of the following day contacting relatives to ask if they knew where Anita was.

The morning after the murder he went on a shopping trip to Nottingham with Miss Jackson, but on their way back from the trip Anderson stopped at Peterborough's Thorpe Wood police station at 3pm to report his wife missing.

The station's inquiry officer Tony Williams told the jury Anderson claimed he had rowed with his wife the night before and she had packed a bag and driven off.

Anderson told the officer it wasn't the first time. He added: "We have had a rocky year."

He claimed none of his relatives had heard from Mrs Anderson.

Mr Williams said: "I thought it odd because he didn't seem very upset or perturbed compared to other people I have seen in the same position."

Unbeknown to Anderson, police had found Anita's body in the river where it had been discovered by a fisherman earlier that day.

The following morning, Anderson was called by the police who asked him to attend a police station to help identify the body. Instead he panicked and fled to France, where he stayed for a night before he was arrested the next day when he tried to re-enter the UK.

Height is alleged to have helped in the murder after Anderson agreed a "contract" of £20,000 for his wife's death.

His trial continues.