B&Q store manager Stephen Hollings 'forcefully and aggressively' sprayed fake sun tan cream in his terrified wife's face during a row but has walked free from court - despite it being the third time he had attacked her.

His wife was blinded by the spray which also went in her mouth and up her nose, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

"She was frightened and distressed. She screamed that she could not breathe," said prosecutor Ian Fenny. "He ignored her and then started spraying other parts of her body."

Although she had frantically dialled 999 and called police she had now returned to her husband and was not co-operating with the prosecution, Mr Fenny added.

Gloucester Crown Court
Gloucester Crown Court

Hollings, 51, a B&Q manager in Bristol, who lives in Ormerod Road, Sedbury, near Chepstow, pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife by beating between August 2-5 last year.

The court heard he had two other offences of assaulting her on his record.

Mr Fenny said the couple had been married for 16 years and have two children, one now adult. There had been a 'volatile' history to their marriage and he had displayed 'inappropriate levels of anger towards her.'

On August 3 last year she was out with friends and when she returned home a marital row broke out, Mr Fenny said. She went to bed but the defendant followed her. He went into their bathroom and fetched an aerosol can of fake sun tan which he 'forcefully and aggressively' sprayed on her face.

"She thought she would drown - that is the phrase she used," Mr Fenny said

Alun Williams, defending, said there are positive aspects to Hollings' life including his work as a B&Q manager in Bristol and he had worked hard throughout the marriage to feed his family.

His wife had been on a domestic violence course in the wake of what happened and Hollings was himself due to go on it this month, he added.

He confirmed that Mrs Hollings is back with her husband and that there is support for the couple from the family.

Gloucester Crown Court

Judge Michael Cullum told Hollings: "Your record shows that you are a wife-beater. This is the third time you have assaulted the mother of your daughter.

"Your wife is a woman who cannot deserve that treatment. No woman does. And yet, for the third time, you have left her particularly distressed. I have read a transcript of her 999 call and she was exceptionally fearful of you and what you were going to do. She was almost incoherent with fear. Her fear of injury was extreme."

Judge Cullum said he believed she remains at risk of being assaulted by Hollings because it is unlikely he will change his ways. But it was a matter for her if she chose to stay with him.

The judge sentenced Hollings to a 12-month community order with a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement. He was ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £200.