A MAN who nearly died after being mistakenly stabbed by his wife has forgiven her – and begged the authorities not to charge her with attempted murder.

Anthony Mellett, 37, of Eastern Esplanade, Southend, insists the whole sorry saga was a “freak accident”, which happened during a heated row.

Mr Mellett had to undergo life-saving surgery to remove half of his stomach after the eight-inch blade plunged into his abdomen, skewering his bowel and narrowly missing arteries and his spinal cord.

But he has completely forgiven his wife Jen, 27, who is anxiously waiting to see if she will be charged with the attempted murder of her husband.

Builder Mr Mellett, who has a three-year-old son with Jen, said: “I am lucky to be alive, but all I want to do now is go home and look after my family. I love my wife and I just want to put all this behind me.

“We hardly ever argue. It was just one of those things, and all we want to do is get past it and move on.”

Mr Mellett’s nightmare began when he argued with his wife at home during the evening of Saturday, May 28.

At about 11pm, in the heat of the moment, he said Mrs Mellett picked up a large kitchen knife in frustation and threw it in his direction. It accidentally struck him in his stomach.

He said: “The blade was so heavy. It just sank in.

“But I know she didn’t mean to hit me with it.

“The knife could have been anything, a slipper or a book. It was just something she grabbed and threw. There was no intent there at all.”

Moments afterwards, Mr Mellett staggered outside and was found by passers-by.

He was rushed to hospital with the blade still lodged in his abdomen to prevent him bleeding to death.

Surgeons were forced to cut a six-inch slit in his stomach to safely remove the knife completely. They also took out half of Mr Mellett’s damaged bowel and stitched the remaining parts of the organ together.

Shortly afterwards, police arrested Mrs Mellett on suspicion of attempted murder and then bailed her until Monday.

Mr Mellett was due to remain in Southend Hospital for about six weeks, but after just ten days in Hockley Ward, he discharged himself on Tuesday to return home to Mrs Mellett and the couple’s three-year-old son.

He has refused to press charges against his wife, but fears the police and the Crown Prosecution Service may push ahead with an attempted murder case anyway.

The maximum penalty would be life imprisonment.

Mr Mellett said: “What is the point of taking away my wife, the woman I love, and depriving my son of his mother? I don’t want the authorities to tear apart my family.”

A police spokeswoman confirmed Mrs Mellett was due to answer bail on Monday.