The defendant argued that she was provoked by her partner of 20 years, a fishmonger, after he grabbed her by the neck in an argument about clearing out the flat in Yiu Ming House, Wah Ming Estate. She said it had been one of a series of violent incidents in their years together.

Liu, who is Indonesian-Chinese, said relatives bought her to Hong Kong in 1988 for match-up interviews. She was introduced to several men, including Cheung. Although she didn't like him, she married him a week after they met because she had spent a lot to come to the city.

The couple slept in separate rooms for most of their time together and one of their sons described the relationship as like a business deal.

Prosecutor Newman Wong told the jury that it should find Liu guilty of murder because it was her intention to put an end to her unhappiness by killing her husband. Wong said the couple had been in dispute for years over financial problems.

On the day of the killing, Cheung demanded that Liu clear out the flat, as he had decided to move back in after living with the couple's sons near his fish stall in Sham Shui Po. Liu had continued to live in Fanling, which was close to her workplace.

In the evening, Cheung threw away Liu's possessions, including goddess of mercy statues and plants that reminded her of her mother.

Liu told police that at the time of the attack the only thing on her mind was to 'dash her husband to death'.

When police asked her why she hit him on the head, she said: 'The head was the best. It's easiest to kill by hitting the head.'

The trial continues before Mr Justice Peter Line.