Carer convicted of assaulting ill wife

Two female witnesses saw 56-year-old Roger Nussey with his hands around a woman’s throat after they heard him shouting ‘Get in the car!’

When they tried to intervene Nussey was verbally aggressive, Donna Fawcett, prosecuting, told Mansfield Magistrates Court.

Ms Fawcett read their statements: “The woman looked terrified. They feared for her safety. They shouted at him to let the woman go.”

Instead, the court heard, Nussey grabbed his wife by the head and hair and started dragging her backwards, simply replying: ‘She’s going in the car.’

One witness called the police while the other challenged Nussey as he shoved his wife into the car. She said: “He shut the door and told me to get off the car.

“I said ‘You don’t scare me.’ I tried to keep him occupied while the other lady tried to get the woman out of the car.

“She was very concerned about what he would do to her and saw red marks around her mouth.”

Ms Fawcett said: “The victim didn’t want to attend and wouldn’t provide any complaint to the police. She told police that she had been having an argument so she left the house.”

Nussey, 56, of Radbourne Street, Mansfield Woodhouse, pleaded not guilty to assaulting his wife Carol Anne, after she walked out of the family home on August 7 last year.

He was found guilty on January 27, and was sentenced at Mansfield Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Neal Taylor, mitigating, told the court that their 37-year relationship had ‘generally been a good, normal marriage.’

He said: “Over the last few years things have taken a turn for the worse. She suffered a serious back injury at work and has since suffered severe depression and anxiety.”

The court heard that Mrs Nussey had a history of self-harm and ‘on the day she left the family, there was real concern about what she was going to do.’

“Mrs Nussey didn’t want to support a prosecution and tried to give evidence for the defence,” he said.

The court heard that Nussey receives a carer’s allowance, and that since the incident in August he had been given unconditional bail to care for his wife.

Nussey had appeared before the court in 2011 for threatening behaviour.

Presiding magistrate Mike Lyall told Nussey: “A lot of people have done a lot of work on your behalf. The reason they have done so much is because your wife has been the victim of a very, very serious assault.

“It was decided at trial that you were guilty of that offence. That is almost a recommendation that you go to prison but this may be more helpful to your wife.”

He sentenced Nussey to a 12-month community order with a rehabilitation activity requirement of 12 days and 40 hours of unpaid work.

Mr Lyall said: “You need to be there to look after her - not to give her a hard time.

“If she has got difficulties, deal with them in the right manner and not by abusing her.”

He ordered Nussey to pay costs of £200 and a £60 victim surcharge.