A 57-year-old man threw a vacuum cleaner at his estranged wife, hitting her on the head with it during a drunken episode of “insane jealousy”, a court heard.

Thomas Williams, of Waterside Park, Tolladine, Worcester, had separated from his wife Julie 15 years ago, but was still living at her home in Greenway, Brockworth, Gloucestershire, at the time of the incident, magistrates in Cheltenham heard.

He had gone back to the house on Friday, August 1, after drinking and fell asleep in the downstairs hallway, said prosecutor Malcolm Hayes.

“At about midnight he went to her bedroom, apparently angry and upset and started accusing her of having an affair,” he said.

“During the course of this argument he picked up a small vacuum cleaner from the floor and threw it at Mrs Williams, striking her on the head. As a result she received a bruise and lump about the size of a 50p piece.

“She said in her first statement to the police that she was extremely angry and shaken and felt she had not deserved this.

“She said when Mr Williams is sober he is okay, but when he has drink inside him he becomes a difficult man.

“She later made a statement of retraction to the police on August 11 although in it she said everything she said in her original statement was a true account.

“Mr Williams, when arrested and interviewed, said he had been out to the pub that evening. He drank five to six pints of Guinness and then had returned home intending to sleep on the floor and to see his children the follow- ing day.

“He became somewhat maudlin as he lay downstairs and was thinking about his wife and the fact that she appeared to be no longer interested in him.

“He added up two and two and made 17 and went upstairs and threw the vacuum cleaner at her.

“He said it was because of the drink and insane jealousy.”

Mr Hayes said Williams had received a caution in 2006 for a previous domestic assault and he had been sentenced in 1998 for an offence of causing grievous bodily harm.

Williams, who told the court he had been living with his mother in Tolladine since “this bit of trouble”, pleaded guilty to common assault on his estranged wife on Saturday, August 2.

The magistrates bailed Williams for a pre-sentence report and told him to return to court on September 2 when he will be dealt with.