A MARRIED Pensnett man who punched a woman in the face and hit her with a chair because she mentioned the name of a woman he had an affair with, in front of his wife, with has been spared jail.

Judge Martin Walsh told 55 year-old Christopher Massey, of Queen Street, he had subjected the unfortunate Karen Salmon to a "sustained and violent" attack.

Speaking at Wolverhampton Crown Court, the judge said: "She was punched and knocked to the ground and then she was hit with the chair. The ferocity of the attack is clearly summed up in the photographs of her injuries."

She also sustained a black eye and cuts to her head and added: "This was an unprovoked attack and an over-reaction to her mentioning the name of another female."

Massey had denied assaulting Mrs Salmon causing her actual bodily harm but was convicted by a jury at the end of his trial.

He was given a nine month jail term suspended for twp years, told to carry out 180 hours community service and to pay Mrs Salmon £500 compensation.

Massey was further placed on supervision for twp years, ordered to pay £1,000 costs and to obey a four month curfew order between the hours of 8pm and 6am.

Andrew Jackson defending told the court the case followed what he described as "rather peculiar circumstances."

He said: "What triggered it is the mention of another woman's name with whom he had a relationship at a time when he was trying to rebuild his life with his wife."

Mr Jackson said Massey had consumed a lot of alcohol on the evening in question and felt provoked by the mention of the other woman's name, who he had met by chance in the Golden Orient Chinese Takeaway in Lower Gornal.

"He accepts his behaviour was inexcusable," said Mr Jackson who told the court he knew he needed to control his temper.

In a victim impact statement Mrs Salmon said the attack had left her a "nervous wreck" who no longer felt safe when out in public for fear of meeting Massey.