FORMER lorry driver Kenneth Norton threw a pan of soup at his wife before violently attacking her with a piece of wood because there was no bread for him to eat.

The 53-year-old, from Leek, who married wife Diane in 1990, suffers from Organic Personality Disorder after sustaining a brain haemorrhage three years ago.

He was handed a hospital order, after a judge sympathised with his problems, but said the incident in February left Mrs Norton with "very unpleasant injuries".

Mrs Norton became a full-time carer for the defendant at their home in Queen Street, Leek, after the haemorrhage left him in hospital for eight weeks.

He was unable to carry on as an HGV driver, Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard yesterday.

Prosecutor Paul Spratt said: "The relationship was volatile, and there was violence every six to 12 months.

"The brain haemorrhage had a dramatic effect on him. His personality changed. They stumbled on until February 23 this year.

"They were both at home and they argued between 2.30pm and 3.30pm. He was cooking some soup and complained there was no bread. She said he'd had enough in any event.

"He threw the contents of the pan, which were not hot, and the pan at her as she was in the living area.

"The pan missed her but the soup landed on her."

The court heard the attack carried on with Norton pulling a small piece of wood with nails on it from a sliding door. "He hit her about her ankle," said Mr Spratt, "and on her arm as she tried to protect herself.

"It seems the nails did not make contact with her.

"The defendant continued with blows in quick succession and she felt blows to her head.

"Mrs Norton said 'stop, or I will call the police'." Mrs Norton did call 999 and her husband was arrested.

She sustained two cuts to her head, with one needing six stitches. She said in her victim statement that he needed specialist medical help, and she would not support the prosecution against him.

Norton pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Judge Paul Glenn was sympathetic to the recommendation in a report and made a hospital order.

Such an order allows a court to send a person to hospital for treatment when the outcome might have been prison, a fine, or probation.

He told the defendant: "This was a serious assault and it wasn't the first time you assaulted this lady.

"The attack was nasty. You hit her with a piece of wood to her arms. legs and head and left very unpleasant injuries.

"She did not want you to be prosecuted. Her view is that you need help as she could not give you the care you need.

"I think the problem you have needs ongoing treatment and management. I hope the hospital order will stand you in good stead and you make some progress."

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