A MAN who slapped his wife in the face as she sat in her wheelchair in Yeovil town centre said he did it because he was fed up with her cursing.

Robert Andrew Leslie Johnson started arguing in the street after the victim had earlier exchanged words with a woman who had pushed past her in a shop.

While the couple were arguing outside Marks and Spencer a member of staff saw the defendant lash out and strike his wife, Somerset Magistrates heard.

Johnson, 41, of Lang Road, Crewkerne, pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife by beating her on August 15.

Dafydd Paxton, prosecuting, said that the victim was a wheelchair user as she suffered from multiple sclerosis, and on the day in question she was in town with her husband.

“A member of staff at Marks and Spencer saw an altercation taking place between the two of them,” he said.

“As a result Johnson lost his temper and lashed out slapping the victim on the face but causing no lasting injury.”

Defending, Chris Baddoo said that there had been a dispute earlier on where the victim used a lift in Primark and someone had pushed past her and she had had a verbal altercation.

“Outside she was still upset and making remarks and cursing in front of other people and my client got fed up as she was having a go at him so he went and slapped her on the face,” he said.

“He said it was a one-off when both parties were frustrated but provocation was no defence and he accepted he overreacted in that situation.”

The magistrates sentenced Johnson to a 12 month conditional discharge and also ordered her to pay a £150 court charge, £55 towards costs and a £15 victim surcharge.