Soldier ‘wrapped best mate in clingfilm and held him at knifepoint after he bragged about sex with his wife ‘
Private John Watson allegedly pounced on Trooper James Dicks after drawing up a 'murder checklist'
A QUEEN’S guard accused of trying to kill a comrade after he had a fling with his wife said the pair had been in a bromance, a court heard.
Private John Watson allegedly pounced on Trooper James Dicks, wrapping him in clingfilm and kidnapping him at knifepoint last May.
Watson, 35, is said to have flipped after finding out about the love triangle involving his estranged wife Lynsey and his close pal.
Trooper Dicks, 29, is said to have 'bragged' about the fling to his own brother.
He described them as having a 'bromance' after he moved down the road from them in Windsor, Berks.
Watson denies attempted murder in May last year, at Reading crown court.
Squaddie Watson told a jury his wife Lynsey became engrossed in her mobile phone and taking to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook messenger during a trip to Alicante in 2015.
Giving evidence at his trial, who quit his job in the army to be closer to his now ex-wife and their two daughters but admitted he was "walking on egg shells" during their week-long vacation before matters worsened in the following months leading to being dumped on Christmas Eve the same year.
He later discovered through his best friend's wife that Lynsey and old friend Private James Dicks had struck up an affair.
Watson, faces his attempted murder charge after allegedly plotting to kill James Dicks, had created a "murder checklist" before he pounced on his estranged wife's new boyfriend, wrapping him in clingfilm and kidnapped him at knifepoint.
The jurors were told by the prosecutor that Watson had requested grave to be dug claiming it was for a dead dog in the days before the he is accused of attempting to murder John Dicks, on May 4 2016.
The jury was told the story was a rouse and the grave for his intended victim.
Watson, who stood in the dock dressed in a dark grey suit today, said he couldn't have had a stronger relationship with Mr Dicks and described it as a "bromance" and labelled "Brokeback Windsor" after the Mr Dicks and his wife moved seven doors down from Watson and Lynsey.
He told how he had struggled in his early life and was educated by his foster parents in the Midlands before joining the army cadets and making his way through the ranks including spells with the Household Cavalry Regiment, the Armoured Cavalry Regiment and the Military Provost Guards Service in Portsmouth.
Watson also told jurors he met Lynsey while working as a barman at a Wetherspoons branch in Hull.
The two were handed an army house following their marriage and were given an upgrade to a three-bed home following the birth of their first daughter.
Watson said: "James Dicks was a really good friend of mine. We met in 2010 at Combermere Barracks. I met his dad at a barbecue at his house and his mum used to have her hair cut by Lynsey."
Watson was moved to Portsmouth and only saw his family in Windsor four days at a time and was informed he would not be transferred to a base closer to home for another two years.
He said: "I never wanted to leave the army. I was willing to do anything because Lynsey was my wife and I wanted to make her happy."
"We went on a week-long holiday to Alicante because Lynsey's parents had a house there. It wasn't what I expected. She is fun so I expected a fun time.
"I didn't get a fun time. She was on the phone quite a lot. I don't like to pry with stuff like that because she needs her space and I needed mine.
"I was walking on egg shells. I didn't want to pry into asking her what was wrong or who she was messaging.
"I thought she must have been messaging her friends. I trusted her 100 per cent."
Watson's wife then tried to force him out of their family home while their two daughter's slept the night before Christmas.
Watson then began having suicidal thoughts and planned to kill himself using paracetamol.
He begged to stay for Christmas Day and planned to drive to a Toby Carvery car park on Boxing to swallow the pills.
He said: "I was going to take the tablets in the car park and drive back. I'm not sure tablets would work 100 per cent. I've got some weights in my room and I would have used them to hang myself. She hadn't confirmed it at that point but I was pretty sure she was with somebody else.
"I didn't have any inkling as to who. It would be the only explanation. It wasn't because I was fat because I had a six pack by then. I hadn't looked that good for years. It wasn't anything I could've done. The only logical explanation was that she was cheating."
Watson was stopped by police after Lynsey had alerted the police to her husband's intention to take his own life.
He was then taken to Prospect Park Hospital in Reading, Berks., and asked numerous questions before being released feeling better about himself but felt "as though he had lost everything".
Before Watson was transferred to Pirbright Barracks in Surrey in February 2016, he was told by Mr Dicks' wife Jacqui that Lynsey and Mr Dicks had been together.
He said: "I found out that my best friend was with my wife. his wife found out first. She found out from his brother because he was bragging to his brother about it.
"When Jacqui told me I didn't believe her. I heard the recording and he admitted to it. He said yeah and giving attitude. He admitted to his wife that he was seeing my wife."
The trial continues.