Jealous wife beats husband in hospital as he recovers from suicide bid

Woman pleads guilty to assault after discovering man's affair

A JEALOUS wife attacked her cheating husband in hospital where he was recovering from a suicide bid, Newbury magistrates heard.

In astonishing scenes at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, Jane Bowley launched herself at her wayward partner, scratching at his eyes and digging her nails into his face, the court was told.

Helen Waite, prosecuting last Thursday, said that husband Sean Bowley had asked his wife to bring his mobile phone – not knowing that she had discovered he was cheating with a work colleague.

“He said that his wife seemed happy on the phone,” and had agreed to bring the mobile to the hospital, where her husband was recovering from a self-inflicted overdose of prescription drugs.

She then dropped the bombshell that she had discovered his cheating with three women, including a colleague – before launching herself at the father of three, who cowered beneath his enraged wife’s onslaught after she “lost control”.

In a statement read to the court, Mr Bowley said: “It took me by surprise- I didn’t know she was aware of my affair. My wife grabbed hold of me by my face and I felt her nails digging in to me and cutting me. My shirt was ripping and the security guards arrived, and the incident was brought to an end.”

Photographs of the injuries sustained by Mr Bowley were shown to magistrates.

Forty-six-year-old Mrs Bowley, of Church Street Mews, Theale, admitted assaulting her husband by beating him on May 27.

Alun Morgan, defending, described his client as a woman scorned and said the pair had been in a relationship for 27 years and also had a grandchild. He said that they had hit a rough patch and the last eight months had been extremely problematic, with financial strains and debts spiralling to more than £25,000.

“It was certainly not her intention to assault the complainant when she went to the hospital. She wanted to confront him. She wanted to find out what was going on. She said some things that were extremely unpleasant and then he said some things that were extremely unpleasant. There was some element of provocation.”

Despite the affairs and the subsequent assault, magistrtates were told, the couple remain together.

Mr Morgan explained: “They have reconciled and are trying to work through things. They have started counselling and it’s something they hope to be able to put behind them.”

Mrs Bowley was made subject to a 12-month conditional discharge.

In addition she was ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge, a £15 victim surcharge and £85 costs.