A MAN who assaulted his wife three times after years of bullying has been ordered to complete a domestic violence course.

Richard Day, of Eynsham Road, near Stanton Harcourt, admitted an assault causing actual bodily harm on December 8, 2011, another on December 27 last year and a common assault the next day.

Yesterday, at Oxford Crown Court, the 59-year-old was sentenced for the attacks on his wife Frances Day.

Jonathan Stone, prosecuting, said the couple had been together for about 14 years and in December 2011 Day had got angry, pulled his wife’s hair and banged her head against a door frame.

The barrister said on December 27 last year Day carried out a similar attack, which Mrs Day reported to the police.

Timothy Greaves, defending, said when his client carried out the offences he had been suffering from depression.

Judge Mary Jane Mowat told Day: “Over years you bullied and assaulted your wife.

“You abused her and belittled her and hurt her.”

But she said the guidelines for such an offence meant he would only receive a four-month sentence, which “in reality” would only amount to about four weeks.

Judge Mowat said this would be a “peculiarly pointless” sentence which would benefit nobody.

And she told Day: “Your wife is extremely forgiving in the circumstances.”

She sentenced him to a community order with 24 months of supervision, a domestic violence programme and told him to pay £275 costs.