A JEALOUS husband tried to strangle his wife and dangled her out of the window by her feet after she was said to have had an affair with a neighbour, magistrates heard.

The court was told how Thomas Dickinson's victim thought she was going to die as he demanded to know how many times she had slept with her lover.

The defendant had also pinned his wife down on the bed, punched her, spat on her and dragged her down the stairs by her hair, telling her: "This is going to be a really long night for you. I'm going to enjoy this."

Self-employed Dickinson, 53, of West View, Haslingden, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm, on November 4.

He was given a community order with two years' supervision and the com-munity domestic violence programme.

He must also pay £200 compensation and £50 costs.

Burnley magistrates told Dickinson he had come very close to custody.

Andrew Creswell, prosecut-ing, told the court Dickinson had demanded his wife download divorce papers off the internet and sign them, confessing to adultery and that she would pay all costs.

Dickinson pushed his wife on the bed, pinned her down and tried to force her to admit how many times she had slept with the neighbour.

She refused and he spat at her several times.

Mr Creswell said the defendant began punching his wife repeatedly around the face and said if she did not tell him he would kill her.

Dickinson tried to strangle his wife and she believed she blacked out and became unconscious. He then picked her up, pushed her out of the window and dangled her by her feet, again wanting to know how many times she had slept with the other man.

She refused to answer and the defendant threw her to the floor and started kicking her. He then dragged her to her feet, threw her on the bed and hit her before pulling her down the stairs.

The defendant then dragged his wife to the house of the neighbour he believed she was having an affair with and told the man's wife Mrs Dickinson had been sleeping with her husband.

Mr Creswell continued: "Mrs Dickinson genuinely feared she was going to be killed. She feared for her life."

The defendant had no previous convictions.

Bill Rawstron, defending, said Dickinson's actions were appalling. He and his wife had been having marital troubles, she had had the affair and the defendant took the news, five weeks before, calmly, although he was upset.

Mrs Dickinson believed it festered on him greatly and unbalanced him emotionally.

Mr Rawstron said the Dickinsons intended to get back together.

The solicitor added: "The defendant has really hit the bottom.

"He cannot get lower than this.

"He has lost his good character which was of immense importance to him."