A violent Suffolk man who was upset when his wife wouldn’t have sex with him told her their relationship was over and threw her clothes out of the house, a court has heard.

Forty-one-year-old John Murkin told his wife of 25 years that he would “put her in hospital” if she didn’t get out of the house and went to her wardrobe and threw her clothes outside, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Caroline Milroy, prosecuting, said Murkin had been sleeping in a shed in the garden and on June 24 he had gone into the house and told his wife, who was in bed, that he wanted sex.

She refused and went into another bedroom and Murkin told her their relationship was over and to get out of the house.

The couple had argued for an hour and during the incident he picked up a plastic water bottle and threw it at his wife but had missed.

He had also picked up a picture in a frame from a chest of drawers and smashed it, said Miss Milroy.

A month later Murkin’s wife had gone to a local pub with friends and while she was there he had turned up and asked her what she was doing.

When she went home she found the door to their conservatory was unlocked and discovered Murkin asleep in her bed.

He refused to leave the house and had punched and kicked her causing her to lose consciousness.

Murkin, of Lamble Close, Beck Row, admitted two offences of assault by beating on June 24 and July 26 and was given an 18-month community order during which he will have to attend a Building Better Relationships programme.

He was also given a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a 90-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement.

Sentencing Murkin, Judge David Pugh said his sentencing powers were limited as Murkin had spent time in custody and on a tagged curfew.

He said Murkin’s wife had remained loyal despite what he’d done. “I shake my head as I do wonder why,” said the judge.

Jude Durr for Murkin said the Murkin’s marriage had been happy for most of the time the couple had been together but the relationship had run into difficulties.

Mr Durr said Murkin recognised his drinking had a detrimental effect on his marriage and he was committed to making the relationship with his wife to work in the future.