A Sussex teacher beat his wife to death with an iron bar in a fit of jealous rage, a jury was told today.

Mark Parnham, 36, told police the attack had been carried out by burglars in balaclavas, Lewes Crown Court heard.

Parnham, an art and design teacher at Millais School, in Horsham, denies murdering his wife Jillian, 38 - also a Millais teacher - at their home in Millmead, Ashington.

Philip Katz, prosecuting, told the jury the couple rowed on March 5 last year about an affair Mrs Parnham was having with a third teacher from the school, where she taught maths.

The court heard that earlier in the day Parnham had been joined at their home by a colleague, Rebecca Nicholson, when his wife had been at band practice with Mrs Nicholson's husband Andrew.

They returned from the practice about 6.30pm and the Nicholsons had left about an hour later.

Mr Katz said afterwards Parnham hit his wife a number of times with a metal bar.

He said Parnham tried to make it look as though a burglary had taken place and raised the alarm with neighbours.

He said: "He turned over furniture and other objects in the house and he lied to neighbours and emergency services, to the police and to the doctor who saw him that evening.

"He lied to them all about having been attacked by two men in balaclavas.

"He threw the weapon out into the front garden to make it look like the burglars had made their getaway in that direction.

"Once Mr Parnham had decided to abandon the story of the intruders and was later interviewed by police, what he said is that he had brought the metal bar home from the school, in what he describes as a plan to do some metal work.

"He said she was the first to use the bar on him and he disarmed her. She attacked him again and he disarmed her for a second time."

Mr Katz told the jury there was no question of him acting in lawful self-defence.

He said Mrs Parnham was unarmed and smaller than her husband.

He said in a statement to police Parnham had described himself as "behaving like an animal".

Mrs Nicholson told the court she did not detect any bad atmosphere between the Parnhams when she left their home around 7.30pm.

She said the couple were extremely devoted to each other and to their two children.

In a statement she told police they were a very "lovey dovey couple" and today she described them as "touchy-feely".

Mrs Nicholson said she was aware of rumours that Mrs Parnham was having an affair with fellow teacher Christopher Worth.

She told the court: "I thought Chris had feelings for Jill but I did not think they were reciprocated."

The trial continues.