Jealous husband chops off his wife's hands with an axe in Russia after finding text messages

A woman whose husband cut off her hands with an axe said the attack was triggered because he saw text messages she received from a male admirer.

Margarita Grachyova, 25, had her fingers crushed before her hands were severed at the wrists in a jealous rage by her spouse Dmitry, 26, a trained psychologist, the Daily Mail reports.

The horrific attack came after she had demanded a divorce after previous threats and violence. The pair were living apart.

Doctors have sewn back one hand but it is still unclear if the Russian woman will regain use of it.

The other hand was so badly mangled in the barbaric medieval-style attack - during which she remained conscious - that it was impossible to save.

"I filed for divorce," said the distraught woman who had two children, aged 3 and 4, with her violent husband.

"Then he saw my text exchange with a [male] colleague."

It is believed he knew she had started dating a male colleague, and had followed her to the cinema.

She said he got "jealous", adding: "Sorry, it is very painful for me to recall all this now."

Dmitry Grachyov has been remanded in custody until February, and faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted.

He immediately confessed to police that he attacked her with an axe after driving her to a forest after the pair had dropped their children at nursery school.

Asked in court if he repented for this "stupid thing" he said: "Yes I do."

He added: "Stupid thing is a soft way to say it."

Before driving her to a forest where he attacked her, he messaged his mother and sister saying: "Please excuse me. I can't live like this any longer, when I am cheated."

Earlier he had told colleagues: "You will soon hear about me."

He crushed her fingers with the axe handle and cut her on the hip, say reports based on police sources.

Then he chopped off both her hands.

Next he drove her to hospital and handed himself into police.

Grachyova's mother Inna Sheikina said: "His jealousy was pathological. He was sure she was unfaithful. Once he even took her to be tested by a lie detector."

Grachyova agreed to the test because she wanted to prove to her husband that she was innocent.

He was convinced their younger child was not his.

The test result showed she had not betrayed him.

Grachyova had called the police over her husband's behaviour several times before.

He had previously driven her to the forest in November and attacked her with a knife, demanding she give up the idea of divorce.

At the time he threatened to pour acid over her face.

After this, Grachyova and her mother demanded that he move out.

"All of us asked him to leave and he finally went to live with his mother," said Sheikina.

Grachyov tailed his wife when she took their children to the cinema with her male friend, say reports.

After this, he initially "promised to change his ways and wanted to get back together", said one account.

"He helped her with the children, taking them to the kindergarten.

"He stopped threatening everybody and asked forgiveness for what he had done."

Earlier Grachyova had told friends of their close relationship and said she wanted to stay with him and celebrate their wedding anniversary together.

"Their family pictures show what a happy family they were until recently," said a friend.

"Then he attacks her like this in a jealous rage."

The grotesque attack happened near Panikovo village, near Serpukhov in Moscow region on December 11.