A DRUG-CRAZED thug throttled his terrified wife before shoving her elderly mum’s head into a wall and threatening to slit her dad’s throat.

Dean Harris walked free from Worcester Crown Court, strolling hand-in-hand with his new partner yesterday after ‘shameful’ violence carried out in front of two terrified children at his then home in Rushwick, near Worcester.

The 34-year-old, who accused his ex of cheating on him with another man, admitted two assaults by beating, one against his wife and the other against her 76-year-old mum. He also admitted threats to kill against his 79-year-old father-in-law and criminal damage to a mirror on June 28 last year. Children who witnessed the assaults had shouted ‘don’t hurt my mummy!’, the court heard.

Ekwall Tiwana, prosecuting, said the couple had been in a relationship for 18 years and married since 2013.

He described Harris grabbing his partner by her throat in her bedroom, ‘pressing against her windpipe with such force he lifted her off her feet’ as the children screamed.

After he left her room he retuned, bursting in again. “He took hold of her hair, punching her to the cheek with a closed fist”, said Mr Tiwana. The assault victim’s mother was woken up by the disturbance and entered the bedroom where she saw the defendant ‘pinning her daughter on the bed by her throat’.

Mr Ekwell said Harris went up to his mother-in-law and shouted: “Are you in on it too?”

Harris then pushed his mother-in-law to the shoulder, causing her to fall back onto the bed. He pushed her a second time when she fell again, hitting her head on the wall. The defendant then confronted his father-in-law, asking him if he knew his daughter was having sex with another man, an allegation he denied all knowledge of. “If you’re lying to me I will get my friend to slit your throat from here to here!” said Harris, who also made ran his finger across his throat. The sentencing judge referred to this threat as ‘the most serious offence of that shameful evening’.

Harris was arrested at the address but in police interview Harris answered ‘no comment’ to all questions put to him by officers.

Recorder Charles Foster, sentencing, said: “This all arises out of an appalling drink and probably drug-fuelled incident. You grabbed your wife by the throat. That was plainly terrifying for the two girls.”

After the first assault Recorder Foster said the defendant’s wife ‘hoped that was an end of the matter’. “Sadly it wasn’t. You burst back into the bedroom. You got hold of her hair and punched her on the cheek and shook her.”

When his wife’s mother entered the room. the judge said her daughter had tried to protect her from Harris.

He said: “I’m asked if I can suspend the sentence. I can – just.” Recorder Foster sentenced Harris to eight months in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered him to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. Harris was placed on an electronically monitored curfew between 9pm and 6am for the next 15 weeks at an address in Admiral Place, St Peter’s, Worcester. He was also ordered to pay £340 costs.

“You have been lucky. Don’t blow this opportunity” said Recorder Foster.

A restraining order was also made in relation to his former partner which will run until further order.