A JEALOUS husband attacked his wife in front of their two-year-old son and chased her out of the house when she was wearing only her night clothes, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Paul Simon Fairbank dragged his wife out of bed, punched her repeatedly and spat in her face.

But he told the court he was deeply ashamed of what he had done and felt sickened and disgusted by his behaviour.

"I love my wife and I really am sorry for what I did," he told the court. "I was so stupid not to trust her. Since I went back home we have been 100 per cent better and I promise the court you will never see me here again."

Fairbank, 33, of Stopes Brow, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assaulting Lek Fairbank. He was made subject to a community rehabilitation order for two years and told to complete 80 hours community punishment.

Phillipa White, prosecuting, said Fairbank had been out drinking and when he returned home he checked his Thai wife's mobile phone.

"He dialled one number and it was answered by a male," said Mrs White. "He threw the phone against the wall and then stormed upstairs to the room where Mrs Fairbank was sleeping."

She described how Fairbank dragged his wife out of bed and punched her repeatedly. Their son was sitting up in his cot as she was thrown onto the bed and taken by the throat.

"She was very frightened and was trying to explain that the man was her friend's husband," said Mrs White.

Fairbank eventualy took the child downstairs but returned and continued the attack.