MAGISTRATES gave March man Mark Butterworth an eight week suspended jail sentence and slapped a restraining order on him this week, after hearing how he assaulted his partner and her male friend when accusing them of having an affair.

Butterworth pushed the woman by the throat and punched the man after he found the pair playing with his young son.

At an earlier hearing, 30-year-old Butterworth had admitted assaulting the man. He had denied assaulting the woman who was about to leave him, but was found guilty after a trial.

Prosecuting, Emma Duckett said Butterworth’s partner had gone to visit her male friend on May 11. Butterworth arrived, and accused the two of sleeping together behind his back.

He punched the man and tried to pin him against a wall, and when the woman tried to split them up, she was pushed by the throat.

Magistrates were told that Butterworth’s partner had already arranged to move out from the home she had shared with him, the following week.

“This was a one-off, and he regrets the fact that he stormed round there,” said John Clarke, mitigating. “He says he woke up one morning and she was not there. He went to the address, and there she was with him; he was playing with his child.

“He says provocation would mitigate the sentence, you can see it from his point of view.”

Butterworth, of Jim Hocking Court, was ordered to carry out 140 hours of unpaid community work, and will be supervised by the probation service for 12 months. The restraining order prevents him from contacting his two victims for two years.

He was ordered to pay a total of �250 compensation and �275 costs.