MOTHER-of-two Elaine Morgan tonight slammed the sentence handed to her estranged husband who fractured her nose as "a joke".

"The courts need to remember women are the victims," she said.

"He assaulted me, put me in hospital, and he's walked free."

As reported on this website earlier tonight, Newport crown court heard Anthony Morgan, landlord of the Potters pub, Brynithel, Abertillery, forced his way into a man's flat and attacked the pair with a child's cricket bat.

Morgan, of the Potters pub, Brynithel, Abertillery, admitted a charge of aggravated burglary and was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for a year.

He was also made subject to a 12 months supervision order and ordered to pay £500 cost.

Judge Roderick Denyer told him: "This is quite a serious offence but happily no great damage was done.

"Everyone speaks very highly of you not just as a publican but as a member of the village. You help people. You clearly run a good pub, everyone says so and it would be quite wrong to send you to prison straight away."

Prosecutor John Probert said Morgan had been married to his wife Elaine for about 11 years but the relationship broke down and she formed a relationship with Stephen Clark, who lived in Six Bells.

On the night of the incident they ordered a Chinese takeaway and took it back to his house.

To avoid grease getting on her clothes Mrs Morgan took them off and put a towel around herself.

Unknown to the couple Morgan had followed them and when he saw his wife in a state of undress he got into the flat.

He shouted: "I'll kill you," and struck the two with a child's cricket bat.

The towel came off Mrs Morgan.

She was later treated in hospital for a broken nose and Mr Clark for bruising and abrasions.

Morgan himself called the police and said he had followed the couple and became angry when he saw his wife naked.

David Webster, defending, said Morgan, who once served with the Army in Malaya, was "thoroughly ashamed."

"The relationship is over and there will be no reconciliation. He is coming to terms with this."

The Judge told Morgan: "We don't want you going off the rails again. If you breach the order you'll have to go to prison."

Speaking tonight from his home Morgan admitted he was "ashamed" of his actions but also "relieved".

"I was sure I was going down, I was prepared for that," said the former haulage boss.

"I'm ashamed of what I did but I feel I was driven to it. I'm not a violent person."

But his victim says she is still suffering from the attack.

Mrs Morgan, 55, said: "It was over between us for 18 months. It was a terrifying attack and I am on medicaton because of it."

Although "bitterly disappointed" with the sentence she thanked Victim Support for their help.