A wedding night from hell ended in murder after the bride left her new groom for another man half way through the reception.
The jealous husband battered his rival George Auchterlonie to death with an oar after his new wife let him into his flat the next morning, a court heard.
Bride Wendy Shobrook, 39, walked out on groom Barry Johnson, 40, just a few hours after they were married because she did not think he was paying her enough attention.
Wedding night from hell: Barry Johnson (left) is on trial, along with wife Wendy Shobrook, for the murder of George Auchterlonie
He had already left the wedding party in a pub to go to collect his giro from the nearby Jobcentre.
The couple then had a row at their home, resulting in Shobrook setting fire to Johnson’s bed and screaming he should 'burn in hell'.
Plymouth Crown Court heard that as the blaze ravaged the property, Shobrook ran away to spend her wedding night with Auchterlonie.
She rang her new husband the next morning and tried to pacify him by claiming Auchterlonie tried to rape her.
Shobrook then let Johnson into the flat and the brutal attack left Auchterlonie with 38 separate injuries, the court was told.
They then fled together leaving Auchterlonie dying in a pool of blood. He is thought to have lived for several hours but his body was only found by a neighbour three days later.
Scottish jig: Mr Aucherlonie was allegedly bashed to death with an oar by Johnson after he slept with his wife on their wedding night
Johnson later boasted to friends he had handed out a 15 minute beating and said: 'I kicked hell out of him and broke a glass over his head. There was claret everywhere. I gave him a bloody good hiding.'
Johnson and Shobrook, of Clowance Street, Plymouth, both deny murdering Auchterlonie at his flat in Theatre Ope, Plymouth in June last year.
The jury was told that Shobrook admitted arson which destroyed the couple's home on their wedding night.
She had previously had an affair with father-of-four Auchterlonie, 45, who came from Perth but had lived in Devon for several years.
Mr Martin Meeke, QC, prosecuting, said Johnson and Shobrook married at short notice at Plymouth Register Office with three friends as witnesses and then went to celebrate at three pubs in the city.
During the evening she left him for the first time and was found with Auchterlonie by friends who persuaded her to return to the wedding party.
Mr Meeke said: 'Shobrook became upset again and told friends she had made a mistake and asked how she could get an annulment.
'They went back to her flat where a neighbour heard them arguing and Johnson say "after all we have done today you will probably end up sleeping with him again", which the Crown says refers to Auchterlonie.
'It is our case she was having a sexual relationship with Auchterlonie which continued up to her wedding.'
Mr Meeke said Shobrook went to her lover's flat after setting light to her bed and calling the fire brigade on the way out.
He said in the morning that Johnson tried calling his new wife three times, but she did not answer.
'She called him back 11 minutes later and told him Auchterlonie had tried to get her knickers down and tried to rape her.
'We say she set Auchterlonie up for a beating and enabled Johnson to have access to the flat for that purpose by opening the door to him.'
Mr Meeke said the attack was so savage that an oar which had hung on the wall as a decoration was broken over his head and he was also glassed, punched and kicked.
The trial continues.
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