HE knew what he had done and what he must do.

Albert Trimmer went directly to the police station to confess: "I've cut a woman's throat."

Such was his excited state that he didn't know whether she was alive or dead and the police chief urged him to calm down.

"Yes, I'm all right," he confirmed, producing a bloodstained razor as evidence. "It was Miss White of Holybourne."

The former soldier was then given paper and pen on which he wrote his startling confession: "I, Albert Trimmer, state that I do not know whether I killed Miss White, of Holybourne, or not, but I cut her throat. If I didn't, I meant do – A E Trimmer."

The victim was his girlfriend.

At first, their relationship was intense but it had gradually cooled as 22-year-old Mary had become increasingly concerned about his moods and he had blamed her for losing his job.

But they were still courting and it was his practice after finishing his work in the hop fields outside Alton, to see her at her mother's home.

As they parted each evening, she would him kiss him good-bye – but not on this near fateful occasion.

Trimmer fumed and the following morning, October 4, 1905, he stormed round to her house and demanded the return of presents he had given to her, which included a 7s hat, blunting telling her it was to be pawned.

And with that, he abruptly left.

Mother and daughter stayed indoors for a short time before leaving, taking a path that led to the village centre.

It seemed that Trimmer then appeared almost out of nowhere, rushing past her mother and seizing her daughter, who was walking on her left, he shouted: "Look here, Mag, this is what you want."

White squealed: "Oh, no," and felt the razor slash her throat.

Smothered in blood, she fell to the ground and rolled into a ditch.

Trimmer then turned to his mother-in-law to be, bizarrely showing his teeth as he grabbed her by the shoulder and threatened to attack her in like fashion. But he suddenly saw a teenager approach and drew the razor across her neck before walking off, leaving his hat in the road.

"The wound was nine inches in length and it was a miracle the jugular vein was not severed, which would have resulted in death," prosecutor Temple Cooke told Hampshire Assizes. "Assistance was forthcoming and she was taken to hospital where she remained several weeks."

Trimmer, 25, however pleaded not guilty to attempted murder when his trial opened on November 26.

The victim told the court she had not told her friends of his increasing indifference.

"I then found out that he had told my mother I was to blame because he had lost his job, but she emphatically told him it was not my fault he was out of work. Last Christmas he was in a most disagreeable mood and had threatened to cut my throat with a razor. The reason I did not see him that night was because he looked strange."

Before giving evidence, Trimmer read out a long rambling statement, accepting jealousy was the root of the crime.

In the witness box, he told jurors he had not only lost his job because of his girlfriend but had also spent all his money on her.

"I wish it had been broken off before because she had been out with someone when I was away. I asked her to break it off with him as it might lead to trouble. But for the girl, I would have had employment during the winter. I was persuaded by her to go into the hop garden and thus I lost my employment."

Jurors took little or no time in reaching the inevitable guilty verdict.

Mr Justice Lawrence was abrupt in his remarks.

"There is no doubt you intended to kill her. The sentence is one of penal servitude for 10 years. Let him go down."