A TEESSIDE man felt he had lost face in his community when police arrested him after a marital row.

The police were called in because of Mohammed Arif's argument with his wife, said Paul Newcombe, prosecuting.

The Middlesbrough couple had been married for 18 years and had four children, but Arif, 38, accused his father-in-law of constantly interfering.

He claimed that his father-in-law wanted the marriage to end, saying that he could not properly look after his wife, Robina, 36, and family.

Arif said he could not understand why the police arrested him after the day when they argued at home, in the street and then at his inlaws.

He felt that he had lost face with people living nearby, said Kate Dodds, mitigating.

The initial result was that he was banned from his home under the conditions of his bail, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Then he was charged with using threatening and abusive language to his wife in the incident, on March 17. In court, Arif, of Eastbourne Road, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty and was given an 18-month community rehabilitation order with probation supervision.

Mr Newcombe said that Arif's abuse was also directed at his brother-in-law, when his wife went to her father's house.

Mr Newcombe added: "When he was interviewed, he was puzzled as to why the police had been involved.

"He said that his father-in-law had accused him of not being able to keep his wife and his family because his wife had to work."

Miss Dodds told the judge: "It is a natural thing in his culture that a wife's family become very involved in the marriage. He perceives it as being interference, but they see it as concern for their daughter.

"He hopes that he and his wife can now continue their relationship without quite such constant interference by his father-in-law."

She said that Arif's wife had been in regular touch with him by telephone, and she had visited him at his bail address.

The judge, Recorder Simon Thorp, told Arif: "Many couples have arguments, but what you did went beyond an argument, and by your plea you accept that your words and behaviour was likely to make her fear that unlawful violence would be used.

"Although I accept that no violence was used.