A CITY cab driver who beat his wife black and blue with a shoe has been jailed for six months.

District judge Bruce Morgan told Zia Hussain his attack had every aggravating feature he could think of and branded him a “coward” for hitting his wife.

Hussain subjected his wife of 20 years to a “sustained” attack after she was late preparing for a religious festival.

While beating her he said: “You can’t do anything properly,” said Lisa Mayne, prosecuting. Hussain, of Stanley Road, had already pleaded guilty to assault at a previous hearing before appearing for sentencing at magistrates court.

He was estranged from his wife and the two had lived apart for some time when he carried out the attack on Thursday, September 17.

“The relationship was fine for two years, but then it deteriorated,” said Mrs Mayne. Returning from a break in Pakistan, she came back to Worcester to find Hussain was seeing another woman.

On the day of the attack, the wife had been preparing for a religious ceremony at her home with guests due to arrive.

Hussain was angered she was going to be late, so picked up a shoe and beat her.

He beat her upper thigh causing extensive bruising before grabbing her around the neck “effectively strangling her”, said Mrs Mayne.

“He then punched her in the face with his free hand,” she said.

When questioned by police about the attack he answered “no comment”.

His wife suffered swelling, bruising to her face and leg and a suspected broken nose.

In an exchange with officers during his arrest, Hussain said he had hit his wife just once, then “had the gall”, according to judge Morgan, to say: “I must have hit her hard” when the extent of his wife’s injuries were described to him.

Andy Childs, in mitigation, said: “My client has apologised for what happened and accepts he behaved very badly towards his wife.”

Judge Morgan told Hussain: “Beating your wife is a clear breach of trust.

“Wives look to their husbands for support and, of course, by beating a woman it makes you a coward, as you knew she was unable to respond.”

A restraining order was imposed on Hussain for 12 months.