Love-cheat bully’s reign of terror

A HUSBAND was slammed by a judge for playing mind games with his wife after their marriage collapsed because of his affairs with two other women.

After the split, Barry Thomas’s wife suffered a breakdown — taking an overdose and ending up in hospital.

But that didn’t stop the 40-year-old love cheat, from Miriam Street, Failsworth, from embarking on a campaign of harassment, said Kerry Bell, prosecuting at Manchester Magistrates’ Court. He threatened her, left nasty messages and telephoned her 20 times a day over a three-week period in a bid to get back with her.

The court heard how, on one occasion, Thomas went to the family home while his wife was out and poured water from a petrol can over her bed.

Afterwards he told her: “No other man is going to sleep in my bed.”

In a statement, the victim said: “This has left me devastated — he won’t leave me alone.”

Thomas, who works as a chemical processor, admitted harassing his wife and was given a suspended 16-week prison sentence and a 10-week 7pm to 6am curfew.

District Judge Jonathon Taaffe told him: “Your behaviour was disgraceful and passes the custody threshold.

“I accept any marriage breakdown is emotional but this was bullying on a vulnerable victim.

“You made repeated attempts to put pressure on your wife to intimidate her. She was in a fragile state and you took advantage of that”.

Thomas was also given a two-year restraining order, banning him from contacting his wife.