A MAN who attacked his pregnant wife after receiving a letter evicting them from their home has avoided an immediate jail sentence.
Gareth Wilson reached “boiling point” when he received the unexpected letter from a housing association telling the couple their home would be repossessed because of unpaid rent.
Wilson (35), now of Estover Road, March, was given a three-month jail sentence, suspended for 24 months, by Spalding magistrates on Thursday after admitting to assaulting his wife, Tina Wilson, at their home in Churchfield Close, Deeping St James, on July 7.
He was also given a 24-month supervision order, ordered to do 180 hours’ unpaid work and complete a domestic violence programme.
Rebecca Ritson, prosecuting, said Wilson was currently living at his mother’s home because of the incident in which his wife, who was seven months’ pregnant at the time, was punched, grabbed by the hair and shaken.
“On the morning of July 7, Mr Wilson opened a letter from the housing association stating the couple were to be evicted because the rent had not been paid,” Miss Ritson said.
“Mr Wilson began shouting and telling his wife to find the paperwork for the house.
“She went over to the living room and felt Mr Wilson punch her to the top centre of the back.
“She felt immediate pain and sat on the floor crying and very upset.”
Miss Ritson said Wilson then told his wife to ring the housing association but they were closed.
“When she walked past him, Mr Wilson grabbed her hair and began shaking her,” Miss Ritson said.
“She couldn’t see, everything went blurry and she thought she was going to fall on the floor.”
Miss Ritson said Mrs Wilson sent a text message asking her mother to call the police and when they arrived Mrs Wilson told them her husband regularly lost his temper with her.
“She felt she was treading on egg shells and didn’t know what might kick him off,” Miss Ritson said.
Rachel Stevens, mitigating, said the couple’s relationship was under strain after the business they ran together folded and some of Wilson’s friends were made redundant.
“He was trying very hard to make sure they had a roof over their heads,” Miss Stevens said.
“He had been giving his wife the money to pay the rent, so he was under the impression that it was being paid.
“Mr Wilson said the letter from the landlords was his boiling point and he lost control, but doesn’t for a moment say it was okay.”
Wilson was ordered to pay costs of £85.