A Worthing man threatened to saw his wife's legs off after she admitted cheating on him, a court heard.

Railway instructor John Harbroe, 39, snapped when his partner Kate gave a graphic description of her antics.

Worthing magistrates heard the couple, who have two teenage children and had been married for 16-years, had had relationship problems for 12 months.

Kirsten Sharp, prosecuting, said they had separated but the defendant went to their home in Broomfield Avenue on October 2, woke his wife and started rowing.

After breaking down in tears, they went to the pub but he became abusive on their way home.

Ms Sharp said Harbroe tried to push his wife over a garden wall, kept igniting a cigarette lighter near her clothes, pushed her against a wall and threw her to the floor before kicking her. He later sent abusive text messages."

Seval Javitt, defending, said Harbroe suspected his wife was cheating and had just heard she had been having an affair for the past three months.

She said: "He started to suspect she was having an affair. He was quite clearly devastated by the news. He went to the pub, drank a lot of alcohol and, after that, exploded."

Harbroe was given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £138 costs. A restraining order, restricting him from contacting his wife, was served and will last until May 1 2005.