A PENSIONER assaulted his wife of almost 30 years after becoming angry when she switched TV channels during a cricket match, a court was told.

Bryan Wright attacked his wife, Lillian, at their home in Darlington last month.

The 72-year-old grabbed her by the collar of her dressing gown after she changed channels when he left the room, prosecutor Joanne Hesse told Darlington Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (May 2).

Wright admitted assault, but disputed the prosecution’s version of events.

Mrs Hesse said: “Lillian turned the channel over when he left the room, resulting in a verbal altercation.

"He forced her up from her seat, repeatedly swearing at her, saying ‘I will kill you’.

“The prosecution would suggest that there was a weapon used, namely the remote control, however there was a lack of pre-meditation.”

Mrs Wright fled to a neighbour’s house, after which police were called and her husband was arrested.

He told police that he felt the channel changing had been unfair, maintaining that he had not hit her with the remote and that he had not threatened to kill her.

That was not accepted by the prosecution and magistrates spent some time deliberating whether to sentence Wilson on the strength of his basis of plea, or schedule a separate hearing to determine the exact circumstances.

Magistrates decided to proceed on the day, effectively accepting the version of events given by Wright, who had a previous conviction from 2008 for making threats to kill his wife.

Tracey Kyle, mitigating, said: “He had been watching cricket all afternoon, it was an exciting match, in the final overs.

“He went out of the room, came back and the channel had changed.

“He saw red and acted completely inappropriately.

“This was an act of domestic violence and while there were no injuries, it still would have been very frightening for Mrs Wright and he accepts that.”

She added that the couple, who had not long got back together at the time of the assault on April 16, were now separated with no plans to reconcile.

Wright, of Whitby Way, Darlington, was given a three-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.