A plot that would end in a woman being hit over the head with a saucepan, stabbed several times and then thrown in a river while she was possibly still alive, was allegedly hatched over a canteen table at work.

The discussion, the court was told, led to the death of Anita Anderson (52) on the day she had bought a new dress to accompany her husband to his firm’s Christmas party.

What she did not know was that her cheating husband, Malcolm (54), had allegedly approached workmate John Height (38), of Driffield Way, Woodston, to “get rid of her” because he wanted to be with his lover and work colleague Claire Jackson.

Gregory Dickinson QC, prosecuting, claimed at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday that during the canteen conversation at haulage firm Norfolkline in Whittlesey, Anderson told Height of his marriage problems.

He told the self-employed mechanic: “I wish there was a way of getting rid of her.”

Height allegedly replied: “That can be arranged. If you decide to then let me know. There are ways and means of doing anything.”

It was claimed he later told Anderson he knew people “who could do that kind of thing” and could make it appear like a suicide for £20,000.

Anderson, of The Mill, Kirton, Lincolnshire, admits murder, but Height denies the charge.

The court heard how shocked Mrs Anderson discovered her husband’s affair, which began in early 2006, after finding an intimate text message from Miss Jackson on his mobile phone.

The couple separated, and were later reconciled, but Anderson rekindled his affair in November of last year and, the court was told, promised to leave his wife – even though they were due to renew their marriage vows during a luxury cruise in January this year.

On the day that she died, Mrs Anderson went to Nottingham with her daughter Rebecca to buy a new dress for the party.

But that evening, after the couple returned home from a meal out, Anderson allegedly contacted Height to tell him “ready when you are”.

He then picked up a saucepan and struck his wife twice over the head before helping her into her Peugeot 206, the jury heard.

Mr Dickinson said: “The harsh reality was that she thought she was being taken to hospital. In fact, she was being taken to her execution.”

Mr Dickinson claimed Anderson drove to a country crossroads to meet Height, who was in his Mercedes van, to finish the attack on his wife.

She was struck “again and again” until her skull cracked and was then loaded into the van – at which point the men went their separate ways.

Anderson then immediately set about laying a false trail by calling Miss Jackson to claim his wife had packed her bags and left him after a row.

Her body was later found by a fisherman in the River Welland in Crowland, near Peterborough.