A JEALOUS husband who attacked his wife after an argument turned violent has been handed a community order.

Darren Egerton attacked Amanda Gooding during a row about whether she had been flirting with another man.

The row broke out after Ms Gooding had been out with friends and returned home in the early hours of December 16.

Giving evidence at Redditch Magistrates Court last week, Ms Gooding said: "I couldn't believe this was happening, I thought he was going to kill me. I have never seen anything like it - it's like he was possessed."

Sports coach Egerton, aged 33, of Hartlebury Close, had denied assaulting his wife but was found guilty at his trial on February 20.

Egerton admitted on the night of the incident he drank wine and gin after putting the couple's 23-month-old daughter to bed.

During the evening his wife, who had also been drinking, phoned Egerton to tell him she had met one of his close friends and put tinsel round his neck.

She got home at around 12.30am and said Egerton was "not happy."

She went sleep in another room but Egerton persuaded her to return to the marital bed, they were woken by their daughter at around 5.15am.

Ms Gooding got up with the child to watch TV but Egerton followed her to the lounge and accused her of flirting, he then bent her arm behind her back and pushed her face into the sofa.

Following a further verbal exchange Egerton kicked a kitchen door and it smashed.

Ms Gooding said: "He came at me again and threw me to the other side of the sofa, he had his hands on each side of my face."

As Egerton continued to kick the door Ms Gooding threw a laptop computer to the floor to distract him and tried to escape.

She told the court: "He picked me up like a carpet, I was kicking and screaming, he took me into the kitchen and dropped me, I whacked my head on the floor.

"He straddled me, he had a hand over my mouth and nose, I couldn't breathe, he also bit my face, I just lay there thinking 'this is it'.

"For some reason he got up and I ran out of the house, I just ran, I needed to get as far away from that monster as I could."

Police were called and Egerton was arrested, he told officers his wife attacked him with the laptop and he had to restrain her - but he did not know how she got the other injuries.

He admitted smashing the door but said he had been provoked after Ms Gooding told him a former partner was more her type than his friend.

At court he repeatedly denied attacking Ms Gooding during cross examination and his solicitor, Shaun Newey, told magistrates: "I would suggest she has gone on to exaggerate what's happened to get Mr Egerton into as much trouble as possible."

However chairman of the bench, Carey Leonard, told Egerton: "Her actions in fleeing on foot are consistent with the level of assault and threat she experienced."

Appearing at Redditch Magistrates earlier today Egerton, who was convicted of common assault and had previously pleaded guilty to criminal damage, was sentenced to an 18 month community order which includes attending rehabilitation days, taking part in the Building Better Relationships programme, and 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was given a restraining order meaning he cannot contact Ms Gooding for two years.

He was also ordered to pay her £50, £600 for the door, costs of £620, and a victim surcharge of £65.