A CREWKERNE man who rowed with his wife and threatened to chop up her body into little pieces and dissolve it in an acid bath has been ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work.

Ward Stephenson Irwin had been drinking when the victim said she was leaving him and he threatened to chuck her out of the bedroom window.

He then grabbed her by the ankles and tried to pull her off the bed calling her a “fat c***” and said she was too big for him to move.

He then made the remark about chopping her into pieces so she called the police, Somerset Magistrates were told.

Irwin, 53, of Broadshard, pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife by beating her during the incident at the family home on June 28 when he appeared in the dock at Yeovil.

Prosecuting, Suzie Butler said that the couple had been married for four years and on the evening in question they were at home and Irwin had been drinking during the day.

“An argument arose while they were watching television in bed and the defendant flew into a rage and started shouting. He then threw the remote control across the bedroom,” she said.

“Irwin left and his wife could hear him throwing things around in their child’s bedroom and when he returned she told him she was leaving as she would not tolerate his behaviour any longer.

“He agreed but said she would not be leaving with their dog or child and then threatened to throw her out of the window.”

He shouted at her: “I will chuck you out of the window and we will see how you can drive the car after that.”

Irwin then grabbed the victim with full force and pulled her off the bed shouting “You’re too fat for me to move, you fat c***t.

“I am going to chop up your body into little pieces and dissolve your body in an acid bath.”

As a result of the attack the victim had bruising to both her ankles and when the police were informed the defendant was arrested but made no comment to all questions asked of him during interview.

A spokesperson for the Probation Service said that in the lead-up to the incident Irwin had been feeling stressed as he was out of work and had been looking for a job for six months.

His finances were low and he was relying on a pension which was running out and arguments with his wife became more frequent as his mood worsened and he became irritable.

“During the argument he became angry and went to a different bedroom and admitted he was throwing toys around which was his way of venting his anger,” she said.

“When his wife said she was leaving this made him see red and he felt provoked but accepts his behaviour was wrong.

“He admitted the three or four glasses of wine he had drunk would have affected him and says he would benefit from some help with alcohol.”

Defending solicitor Neil Priest said that Irwin’s wife had become very ill after the birth of their child and this had impacted on their relationship.

“My client has had difficulties with alcohol but is now engaging with the Somerset and Dorset Alcohol Service (SDAS),” he said.

“A criminal conviction will also now affect his ability to get work and he wanted to go into teaching but this offence will impact upon that now. He also feels he would benefit from some anger management.”

The magistrates sentenced the defendant to a 12 month community order with the unpaid work and a 20 day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, focusing on his anger and alcohol issues. Costs of £135 and a £95 victim surcharge were also imposed.