A husband deliberately crashed his car into a tree killing his estranged wife following a row about their divorce settlement, a murder jury was told today.
Sally Marie Lawrence, 47, suffered fatal head and chest injuries in the collision in Gartree Road, Oadby.
Former airline pilot Iain Phillip Lawrence (53) denies murder.
He told the police he suffered "total amnesia" and has no recollection of events, Leicester Crown Court was told.
The couple, who lived in Ring Road, Oadby, had a young son who was away on a school trip when the alleged killing took place.
Mrs Lawrence, managing director of a company, Clear Spill, in Oadby, had two daughters from an earlier marriage.
Nirmal Shant QC, prosecuting, told the jury of six men and six women this afternoon: "On October 6 last year, Mrs Lawrence was a front seat passenger in this defendant's Peugeot being driven along Gartree Road.
"The car was driven into a tree and the deceased died almost instantaneously, because the airbag didn't detonate.
"The reason why it didn't detonate was because it had been switched off.
"Who switched the airbag off?
"How or why did she come to be in the defendant's car?
"Her friends and family insist she was scared of the defendant and they lived separate lives.
"His car was extremely untidy and she wouldn't have voluntarily got into the vehicle without either being forced in to it or tricked into it."
Mrs Lawrence was not believed to be wearing a seat belt, which she would normally have done.
They were in the process of getting divorced with the decree nisi due two days later, on October 8.
Miss Shant said: "The day before she died, there were acrimonious discussions about how they were going to divide up their assets, in particular the matrimonial home.
"She was scared of the defendant and he was insisting he wanted his half of the house even though he had other assets, such as a pension and an interest in another property.
"It was a bone of contention who should keep the equity in the matrimonial home."
By this time, Mrs Lawrence was in a new relationship and arranged to see her boyfriend on the evening she died.
She allegedly confided in family and friends about being fearful of the defendant, and told one confidante: "One day he'll kill me."
Mrs Lawrence also said to the confidante: "What if he did away with me?"
Miss Shant said: "That was the measure of how she was feeling."
After the fatal collision, the police went to their home and found Mrs Lawrence's Jaguar unlocked on the driveway, with her handbag, purse, iPhone and an overnight bag in it.
She was due to see her boyfriend at about 6pm.
Miss Shant said: "She was dressed up ready to go somewhere.
"However, she found herself on a journey travelling with this defendant on Gartree Road, in his car which friends and family said she wouldn't have got into without being forced or tricked."
The police received a call reporting the collision at 6.33pm.
Lawrence later told officers he was on friendly terms with his estranged wife and they were divorcing amicably.
The trial continues.
